Dave Roberts, NMRA, NFR passes away


SteveR

New Member
Hi all,

If any of you folks have had the pleasure of knowing my father, Dave Roberts of Toronto, I'm sorry to tell you that he passed away Saturday afternoon after a mercifully short battle with ALS at the ripe old age of 82.

Dad had been in the hobby since he was a young man, having attended the first NMRA convention in 1953 as well as the 50th in 2003. He was National Contest Chairman for a time, as well as President of the Scarborough Model Railroaders and and avid member of the Lakeshore Model Railroaders Association. He was well known for his carbuilding and locomotive performance clinics, which often included a few surprises. :D

Dad was a true craftsman and gentleman who was grateful for having made so many good friends through the hobby.

If you're near Toronto, please feel free to drop by the service Wednesday afternoon. Here's a link to the notice.

Thanks,
Steve Roberts
 
My condolences Steve, it’s always sad to see somebody so close pass away, there is never a good time for such event’s, I’m sure the good lord will put his talents to good use. We lost granddad last week at 86, were having a quiet family service Thursday.
God bless
 
My condolences to you and your family for your loss Steve. Even when expected the passing of a loved family member is a traumatic experience.

Willis
 
SteveR,

Please accept my condolences to you and your family also.
It is trying times such as these that you will need to be your strongest
for the other family members who are not.

Have said a prayer for you,

Mike
 
Steve R. with deepest sympathy ! Always sad to see a model railroader riding the last train !!
 
Thanks for your kind wishes, everyone. At the service yesterday, the two back rows were filled with Dad's railroad buddies, mostly from the York Railway Modelers, and they had a lot of stories to share.

Here's one of our favourite shots, from a local rairoad show in the late sixties or early seventies (sorry, we didn't date our photos much). The "hero" model in the shot is Dad's coke car at the bottom right, which won an MR Model of the Month in 1973. It was all scratchbuilt, except for the trucks, brake wheels, and maybe a couple of other small parts. Strathmore card was his material of choice, and he machined the tiny parts of the undercarriage himself.
If I get a chance, I'll scan and post a shot of the car itself, but for now, here's Dad:
DaveRoberts-RRshow.jpg
 
Sorry to hear about your Dad, Steve. We all apprieciate his contributions to our hobby. He'll be missed.
 



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