Richard J. Roberts

Greece: Passed away Monday, June 18th in his home from complications of a stroke he suffered last month. Raised in Canastota, New York, to Clay and Margaret Roberts, Richard loved the outdoors growing up. His family moved to Syracuse where he attended Liverpool High School. After graduation he attended Ranger School in Wanakena, NY and then spent several years in the Adirondack Mountains as a lumberjack before being drafted into the Army during the Korean War.After being honorably discharged, he attended the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University where he received his bachelor's degree. He then moved to Rochester, NY where he worked at General Dynamics for a few years. After the company shut down its Rochester operations, Richard was offered a position at Xerox where he worked for over 30 years. Richard was an avid runner for several years competing in 10K races and he eventually ran and completed the Buffalo Marathon. His love for nature frequently kept him outdoors where he would work in the backyard on his water garden and several other landscaping projects. He was an active member of the Town of Greece Tree Council, whose goals are to preserve and improve the natural beauty of the Town of Greece's suburban forest. He was also passionate about antiquing with his wife of 49 years. Richard is survived by his wife, Rita; his son John and his wife Christie and their son Jason; his daughter Lauraand her husband Larry and their son Alex; his sister Jane and her husband Joe; and in-laws Lily, Tony, Ronnie, Joe and Carol; as well as several nieces and nephews. Friends may call Friday, June 22nd, 3-5 P.M. at Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral Home, Greece Chapel, 1075 Long Pond Road. His Memorial Service will be held, following visitation at 5 P.M. in the Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Forests (www.AmericanForests.org), the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country, which advocates for the protection and expansion of America's forests.