William F. Roberts, M.Eng. '63

William F. Roberts, M.Eng. '63, passed away on Aug. 11 in Gainesville, GA. He was 96.

Roberts, a native Floridian and World War II veteran, grew up in poverty to become one of the world’s first environmental engineers. He worked on early satellites and manned space missions before founding his own pollution control company.

Born Feb. 16, 1922, in Jacksonville, Roberts served as a B-26 Marauder pilot during World War II. He flew 50 combat missions and was in Paris on VE Day.

After the War, Roberts attended the University of Florida on the GI Bill and subsequently worked at Northrop Corp and the Aerospace Corporation in Southern California, as well as GE in Philadelphia. He provided technical assistance for the first communications satellite and for developmental stages of the space shuttle.

The first Earth Day in 1970 inspired Roberts to found Sigma Treatment Systems. For ten years, he traveled the world, giving lectures on ways to combat pollution generated by ships at sea.

Roberts was married to Frances Estelle Johnson, also of Jacksonville. They divorced in 1969. After more than a decade, Roberts married Constance Charron of Delray Beach, Florida. The couple lived in in Pennsylvania, High Springs and Gainesville, Florida and, finally, in Gainesville, Georgia.

Roberts’ active retirement included a purposeful emphasis on creative ventures to balance his largely technical career. He often said, “I feel like I have lived several lives, and they were all good.”

Roberts was preceded in death by the sudden passing of his beloved wife, Constance, in May, 2014. He is survived by sons William F. Roberts (Bobbie) of Fort Mill, SC; Kenneth E. Roberts (Jo-Anne) of Vancouver Island, British Columbia; Alan E. Roberts (Karen) of Deer Park, WA; and Bruce E. Roberts (Darian) of Los Angeles; eight grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held for William at Lanier Village Estates, a retirement community in Gainesville, GA, where William and Constance Roberts had lived since December, 2011. Following this Celebration of Life, a later interment, with full military rites, will be at the Florida National Cemetery in Jacksonville. This will be a joint interment for William and Constance.