John Kelvin Roberts

John Roberts was born in Lone Pine, California, near the Sierra Madre range in 1948, to his parents Harold Kelvin Roberts and Francis Naomi (Kitselman) Roberts. He passed away with his partner Chris by his side in Hospice in the early morning hours of January 14, 2025, after a brief illness. Upon the death of his dad when he was only 5, the family moved to San Pedro, California, where he graduated from San Pedro High School in 1965. He attended Brigham Young University briefly, and then joined the Air Force and was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska as a staff photographer in the early 1970s. After his discharge he moved to Ohio, then to Ft. Meyers, FL.

In 1983 he moved to Colorado Springs, CO., where in 1984 he met his life partner, Christopher Lee. They operated Firefly Antiques in Manitou Springs, CO. from 1985 to 1996. During that time he became a title-holding member of the United Court of the Pikes Peak Empire, the oldest LGBTQ organization in Southern Colorado, a chapter of The International Court System, itself one of the oldest national charitable and social LGBTQ organizations in the United States.

Upon their move to Orlando, Florida in 1996, John continued work at Firefly Antiques and later Walt Disney World as a photographer, and Marketvision, a marketing firm at Universal Studios, as a supervisor. Upon retirement, he volunteered at The Center, the LGBTQ community outreach in Orlando, as well as the Friends of Winter Park Library. John's passion was volunteering as a transporter for cats and kittens, participating in TNR, a movement to trap, neuter and release feral cats back into their communities, reducing their population naturally and humanely, while finding homes for many abandoned cats through pet adoption services via the auspices of Wednesday's Cats and Kittens, and Pet Alliance of Central Florida.

His lifelong passions were travel and music. As a young man, he traveled the world with his lifelong friend, Bill Schwarz of San Pedro, California. He loved folk music, classical opera and rock bands of the 1960s.

He loved to cook, had a random habit of waving hello to perfect strangers, and was a mentor to young people whom he met during his life.

He is survived by his loving partner and spouse of 40 years, Chris Lee of Winter Park, Fl, his sister, Kelva Erickson of Colorado Springs, CO. and sister Ruth Veneris of Baltimore, MD. as well as three nieces. He was loved and will be missed by the Jon and JoAnne Cornick family of Divide, CO, and their children and grandchildren.

Per his wishes, no services are planned. John would be pleased if you would make a donation to any charity in your local area that supports abandoned or feral pets.