John R. Roberts
John Rudolph Roberts, 81, of McDonald, Mt. Pleasant Township, passed away peacefully Sunday afternoon, April 21, 2013, in Molinaro Manor, Oakdale.
He was born April 30, 1931, in Francis Mine, a son of the late Frank Sr. and Christina Gecoma Roberts.
After attending Union High School in Burgettstown, where he played football, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving four years during the Korean conflict.
Mr. Roberts was the body shop foreman at P&G Chevrolet in Slovan, where he was known for working miracles on cars. He retired after 17 years from Troy Design and Manufacturing in Michigan.
He was a member of the Italian, Slovenian and Polish clubs in Burgettstown and Slovan Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Mr. Roberts enjoyed gardening, bowling, big game hunting, riding and caring for his horses and spending time with his family.
Surviving are his children, Debora McCune of North Carolina and John Roberts and wife Karen of Bulger; six grandchildren, Chelsie and Jake Roberts and Matt, Jane, Lee and John McCune; three brothers, Art Roberts of Pittsburgh, Frank Roberts Jr. and wife Loretta of Burgettstown and William Roberts of Michigan; a sister, JoAnn Kucera of Weirton, W.Va.; a sister-in-law, Donna Roberts of Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.
Deceased, in addition to his parents, are his wives, Jane Pliska Roberts, who died in 1971, and Julia Bennett Roberts, who died in 2007; a great-grandson, Noah McCune-Cassella; a brother, Joseph Roberts; sisters, Helen Monasterio, Mary Panconi Blank and Lil Bernola.
Friends will be received from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Lee & Martin Funeral Home, 73 Highland Avenue, Burgettstown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 25, in Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church with the Rev. George Moneck, pastor as celebrant. Inurnment with military honors will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery at a later date.
If so desired, memorial donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942, and/or Washington Area Humane Society, 1527 Route 136, Eighty Four, PA 15330.