Annie Hall Estep Roberts was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on October 29, 1922 to George and Letha Estep. She spent her childhood in North Carolina, graduating from Greensboro College in 1943 and attending graduate school at the University of North Carolina. During World War II, Anne was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, while serving in the WAVES, the women’s branch of the U.S. Navy, obtaining the rank of Lieutenant J.G. for her work in Naval Intelligence.
In 1949, Anne met and married James S. (Jim) Roberts, and the couple shared a life together for 61 years until Jim’s death in 2010. In their early years of marriage, Anne and Jim lived in Stockholm, Sweden, for two years followed by two-year stints in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1955, they moved to Reno, Nevada, when Jim joined the faculty at University of Nevada. The family lived in Lahore, Pakistan, from 1962 to 1964, giving the children a chance to see a very different part of the world. Upon their return to Nevada, the family moved to Carson City, where Anne and Jim lived in the same house for 45 years.
The greatest source of pride and joy in Anne’s life was raising her three children, who have gone on to lead successful lives, largely as a result of the love and nurturing they received at home. She also relished entertaining friends, family, and visitors. Anne’s door was always open, and there was always extra room at her table. She was active in numerous civic clubs and organizations, including the League of Women Voters and the boards for both the Ormsby Public Library and the Nevada State Library. She also spent several years working for the Nevada State Printing Office.
Anne is survived by her son Eric and wife Lauren Rusk of Palo Alto, California, son Mark and wife Eileen Roberts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, daughter Wendy and husband Dan Swanson of Sonoma, California, and grandchildren Ben Linkow and his wife Brooke, Matthew and Katherine Roberts, and Nathaniel, Christopher, and Delaney Swanson, along with much-loved nieces, nephews, and various “chillin” whom she loved as if they were her own. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Grace Estep Bloom, and her brother-in-law Norman Bloom.
A memorial service will be held at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, Nevada, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2015, with a reception immediately following. The James S. and Annie E. Roberts Memorial Scholarship has been established at the University of Nevada. Anyone wishing to donate may send a donation (made out to the UNR Foundation with a notation “James S. and Annie E. Roberts Scholarship Endowment”) to UNR Foundation, Mailstop 162, Reno, NV 89557.
