MORRISVILLE- Roberta S Alexander, 87, a longtime resident of Craftsbury, died Saturday, July 16, at Manor Nursing Home with her family by her side.
Roberta was born on May 30, 1935 in St. in Johnsbury as the daughter of Gerald and Gladys (Wylie) Spaulding. For many years the Spauldings lived in Craftsbury and St. in Johnsbury.
As a little girl, Roberta attended what was then a two-room schoolhouse in Craftsbury Village, followed by Craftsbury Common Academy, where she developed a lifelong love of learning. He was also on the basketball team that played in the half court gym.
When she was 13, her younger brother Gerry was born and she naturally slipped into the role of big sister and protector as her family moved several times between St J and Craftsbury.
In the early 1950s, she met her future husband, Robert M Alexander, at Urie’s Pavillion, a dance hall in Shadow Lake, Glover. They met while he was doing a two-year degree in retail at Poultney Green Mountain College, as he worked towards an engineering degree at Norwich University.
They were married on September 10, 1955 at Church on the Common and then headed west to the badlands of Colorado, South Dakota and New Mexico while he worked for the Federal Highway Administration. His career path soon brought them back to New England, where they lived briefly in Connecticut while he attended Yale, Woburn, Mass., and finally back to Vt.
Their sons Peter and John were both born in Barre in the early 1960s. While living as a homemaker in South Burlington, Roberta dipped her toe back into education, getting tutoring. This led her to a teaching degree at Goddard College and, after moving to New Hampshire, to a teaching position at Concord High School.
He developed a marketing and sales education program there, where he taught for 16 years and was named NH State Teacher of the Year in 1981. Her husband, Bob, still speaks with admiration of this achievement to this day.
A local newspaper summed up his philosophy of education as “the ability to make children feel good; to listen and encourage them.”
In 1988, Berta and Bob moved back to Vermont, first to Common to help Gladys and Jerry, then down the road to Lake Hosmer, where they loved the sights and sounds of nature, especially spring loons and peepers. Family and friends visited often, enjoying Roberta’s delicious meals and great company. Berta and Bob had a line of black labs that they loved. They also had many kitties because he also loved cats.
When Bob became a consulting engineer, Roberta began a second career as a real estate agent and made many new friends at Watson and Choice agencies, retiring in June 2011 after 22 years.
In early 2019, they left their beloved Mill Village home for The 4 C’s Assisted Living Center in East Craftsbury, then Morrisville Manor Nursing Home during the pandemic closures, where Robert still lives in the assisted living section.
Family and friends who were a part of his life include:
Predeceased by his father Gerald (Jerry) K Spaulding (1908-1995), mother Gladys W Spaulding (1912-2007), brother Gerry who died on February 25, 2013 and two sons Peter M Alexander of Manchester New Hampshire and John R Alexander of Milton Vermont.
Her nieces and nephews include: Jessica E Spaulding of Stowe and her daughter Lili, Travis D Spaulding of Stowe and his wife Rebecca and their children Mena, William and Bryer.
Two sisters in Rutland are Jean Hinson and Janet Alexander.
Friends include Lou (Simmons) King and Joan Simmons of Craftsbury, Lauren Handrahan and David Rowell of Watson Agency, Brenda Menard of Choice Real Estate. Also Annette Burgess of Concord NH.
Friends who preceded her in death include: Claire Renasco in 2016 in R.I., Phyllis (Simmons) Harrington of Craftsbury in February 2020, Anne Wilson of Craftsbury in November 2020 and Pat Smith of Montpelier in April 2021.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 20, at Craftsbury United Church on Craftsbury Common with Pastor Kim Larose officiating.
Memorials may be made by mail to the Craftsbury Community Care Center (4 C’s) at 1784 E. Craftsbury Rd. Craftsbury VT 05826.
Family Information
Family and friends who were a part of his life include: Read also : Investigating the Effect of Video Game Complexes on Young Minds.
Predeceased by his father Gerald (Jerry) K Spaulding (1908-1995), mother Gladys W Spaulding (1912-2007), brother Gerry who died on February 25, 2013 and two sons Peter M Alexander of Manchester New Hampshire and John R Alexander of Milton Vermont.
Her nieces and nephews include: Jessica E Spaulding of Stowe and her daughter Lili, Travis D Spaulding of Stowe and his wife Rebecca and their children Mena, William and Bryer.
Two sisters in Rutland are Jean Hinson and Janet Alexander.
Friends include Lou (Simmons) King and Joan Simmons of Craftsbury, Lauren Handrahan and David Rowell of Watson Agency, Brenda Menard of Choice Real Estate. Also Annette Burgess of Concord NH.
Friends who preceded her in death include: Claire Renasco in 2016 in R.I., Phyllis (Simmons) Harrington of Craftsbury in February 2020, Anne Wilson of Craftsbury in November 2020 and Pat Smith of Montpelier in April 2021.
Submitted by:
Peter Alexander [us protected], [email protected]
