Barry Renshaw Roberts

Barry Renshaw Roberts, 76, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 4, 2016. Mr. Roberts was born on Aug. 15, 1939, in St. Louis, Missouri to Dorothy Nell and Amos A. Roberts. The family soon moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Barry attended elementary school and played Little League baseball. While Barry would remain an avid baseball fan for the rest of his life, his love of the game was no match for his love of music, particularly jazz and Big Band. His family moved to Houston in 1950, where he attended Lanier Middle School. Barry took up trombone, to the delight of his father, who also played the instrument. In high school, Barry continued to play in the award-winning jazz band at Lamar High School, and he ultimately won first place in the State of Texas for his talent in trombone. Barry attended Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and the University of Houston, where he majored in marketing and advertising. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and remained active as an alumnus, helping to establish a Sigma Chi chapter at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri (now Missouri State University). In 1966, while working in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he met and married his wife, Bettie. Barry worked in retail clothing and the couple moved to Springfield, Missouri in 1967. While music remained his passion, Barry’s retail experience inspired a love of clothing and all things sartorial. He soon opened “Oliver’s,” a traditional men’s clothing store in Springfield, which he ran for several years until moving back to Houston in 1971. In Houston, Barry continued his work in retail clothing, but soon decided on a career in life insurance, where he spent the next 40 years of his life. He first worked for Occidental Life (later TransAmerica), then Connecticut Mutual (now MassMutual), and eventually as an independent agent. Barry was an ardent supporter of the Houston Pops Orchestra and a member of the Pops Advisory Board. He also worked on fundraising for the Heart Association. He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Bettie Weaver Roberts, daughter and son-in-law Brooke and Michael Monk, and grandchildren Jack Kuhlman Monk and Sara Renshaw Monk. Barry will be remembered as a kind, loving, and dedicated husband, father and grandfather. He had tremendous love for his grandchildren. The family will gather for a graveside service and interment on Tuesday, May 10, 2016. Serving as honorary pallbearers are Walter Juarez, Doak Leggett, Brian Monk, Jeff Monk, Michael Monk, and John E. Roberts. In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or the Sigma Chi Foundation (https://foundation.sigmachi.org/).