William "Bill" Roberts
July 22, 1912 — December 27, 2014
William “Bill” Roberts 102 years old of Hanover Township passed away peacefully December 27, 2014.
Bill was born July 22, 1912, in Wilkes-Barre. The son of Welsh immigrants, Anne and Naphtalie Roberts, Bill was raised in Swoyersville along with eight brothers and sisters. He enlisted in the US.Army in 1940 and served with the 893 Tank Destroyer battalion during World War II. He was part of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France, participating in several key battles including the Battle of the Bulge and the Ludendorf Train Bridge at Remagen, Germany. He was awarded many medals including the Purple Heart for injuries received in battle as well as the Bronze Star for bravery.
After his Honorable Discharge from military service, he returned home and married Martha Yekel in 1950 They were married for 43 years and lived in Hanover Township where they raised two sons, William Jr. and Richard. He was widowed in 1993.
Bill was ahead of his time on environmental and health issues. He gave up driving in the 1960s in favor of riding his bicycle to and from work at Bergman's Department Store every day regardless of the season or the weather. When asked how he managed to ride in the snow, Bill would respond, "The tires on this old Schwinn are like snow tires and it burns only cholesterol, you can't beat it. He rode that bike for the next 50 years and attributed that daily exercise to his good health and longevity.
Bill was preceded in death by his wife, his parents and seven siblings. He is survived by his two sons, William "Dave" Roberts Jr., Houston, Texas and Richard J.Roberts, Hanover Township, PA., his sister Helena R. Dixon, San Diego, California and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Bill's life is set for 11AM on January 17, 2015 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 190 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.
Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia 22211.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gino Merli Veterans Center, 401 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA.