Kenneth Sidney Roberts

Ken was born in Halifax on October 18, 1949, to Kenneth Roberts and Catherine (Kitty) McPherson. He grew up on Bilby Street in Halifax’s North End with his sisters Nancy Kimber, Marjorie Roberts, and his late brother Frank Roberts.

After graduating from Queen Elizabeth High School in 1969, Ken trained as a marine engineer at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Cape Breton. He began his career with the coast guard, serving on several ships and taking part in numerous missions, while rising through the engineering ranks from cadet to chief engineer.

Beginning in 1978, he was recruited to work in the oil and gas industry, where he built a long and successful career with Sedco Forex (later Schlumberger, later Transocean). Described by colleagues as a master in maintenance, he made major contributions as a problem-solver, innovator and mentor to many.

A career that began in Halifax later took Ken and his family to London, Ont., St. John’s and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Paris, Houston and Singapore, with many stops all around the world. Throughout his career, he remained deeply committed to his work, often spending his spare time programming and building tools that improved operations. He was tireless, curious and incredibly dedicated. He had a habit of publicly praising people for their accomplishments and genuinely enjoyed working with people from many different parts and cultures of the world. They all loved and respected him, with many colleagues becoming lifelong friends.

He was self-taught in a range of fields, with his passion for electronics and computing being a prime example. After teaching himself to code in the late 1980s, he accepted a head office position in Paris, where he helped to develop software-based maintenance systems, a skill he applied to assets all over the world.

After retiring in 2015, Ken turned much of his energy toward genealogy, uncovering his family’s roots. He connected with distant cousins, made more friends, and even travelled to England to visit the church where his grandfather was baptized. His characteristic precision and care was evident not only in uncovering his own family history, but also in generously helping many others to uncover theirs.

Outside of work, his passion for building, fixing and all things mechanical was applied at the family cottage in Russell’s Cove, Nova Scotia. Drawing on his legendary tool collection, he constantly improved the cottage over 37 fruitful years, working closely with Pat to make it a place of enjoyment for his kids, family, and friends. This was his happiest place, with a burger and fries in hand, and a project to work on. That simple joy was all he ever needed.

Ken was a quick and astute observer of life, with a wide range of interests from politics to history to migratory birds. He was also a quiet, thoughtful man who held his emotions close to him. He never wanted to be a burden to anyone and lived with quiet strength and self-reliance. He had a dry sense of humour that caught people by surprise and a dependability that never wavered. He was a man of his word.

Through their meeting in 1974 and marriage in 1976, a constant by his side has been his wife Patricia (Gorrell) Roberts, life partner for more than 50 years and for many countless adventures. He was deeply dedicated to Pat, and they made a great team. In more recent years, Ken thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Pat at their seasonal residence in Mexico.

He was also very proud of the accomplishments their children Ken Roberts (Kat Roberts) and Emma Roberts (Alex Whalen), and grandchildren Maddie, Isaac, Elsa and Oliver Roberts. He is remembered with love by his sisters Nancy and Marjorie and by many extended family members, friends and former colleagues from around the world.

A private family gathering will be held in his memory. He will be deeply missed. To leave an online message of condolence please visit www.jasnowfuneralhome.com