Biography

Robert John Roberts 14 June 1932 - 21 April 2005 was born in Leeton NSW, the sixth in a family of seven.  As a child he suffered indifferent health from asthma and spent long periods in hospitals during the war years. This also affected his schooling as his parents tried different climates and places in NSW and Queensland to improve his health.  But in 1949 he finished his schooling at the Leeton High School and in the following year, joined the NSW Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission. After his father took up a position in Scottsdale, Tasmania, he moved there with his mother and younger brother in 1951. 

From late 1951, he worked with Commercial Bank, first in Scottsdale, and then across various branches in northern Tasmania, remaining with the bank until 1967. It was while he was at the Commercial Bank in Launceston that John met an attractive fellow worker, Ailsa Claire Smith – a Smithton girl.  John and Ailsa were married at St. John’s, Launceston on 8th January 1955. In years to come, they were blessed with three children: Peter, Michael and Kath and by the time of John's death, 9 grandchildren.

In August 1967, John left the bank to take a position at Douglas and Collins in Launceston as Conveyancing Clerk and Office Manager.  John’s career at Douglas and Collins spanned thirty years until his retirement in August 1997.

While he came from a staunchly Baptist family, he joined the Anglican Church around the time of his marriage. He was a committed Christian, and gave expression to his faith through years of service.

- Appointed to the Vestry (as it was then called) in July 1960 by the rector, the late Archdeacon Sutton;
- Elected as a Churchwarden in July 1967, he served continuously in this position – a position of leadership in the Church - for thirty years, first as a People’s Warden, then as a Rector’s Warden until he stepped down in August 1997.  In all, as a churchwarden, he served six rectors of St. John’s. 
- He continued on the Parish Council until August 2001 – forty-one years of service!
- During this time he was also for many years a representative from this Parish to the Church’s policy-making body, the Diocesan Synod. 

Alongside other notable wardens, such as Terence Butler, he helped guide the parish through transitional periods in church life and significant building restorations. 

John’s commitment to his Christian faith was reflected in other ways too.  He was a member of the Anglican Church Missionary Society – the CMS – for thirty years until 2001, on the State Committee, the Bookshop and Property Committees and from about 1975 until the CMS was incorporated in 1996, a Trustee of that body.  He worked himself out of that position, playing a key role in the CMS incorporation.

He was a member of the Board of the Launceston City Mission for approximately twenty years, and a Trustee of the William Stepney Trust – a perpetual charitable trust associated with Holy Trinity Anglican Church.  For most of that time, until his health forced him to step down, John was the Trustee-Administrator. 

John was equally involved in community activities, adding immeasurably to the community life of Launceston;

• As a young man, he played badminton with the Mia Mia Club, basketball and hockey with the YMCA and tennis with the CBA & Riverside Tennis Clubs; even rugby in his younger years in NSW.
• Was a member of the Army Reserve for approx. twelve years;
• Treasurer and President of the Glen Dhu School Parents & Friends Association;
• President three times and honoured with life membership of the Prospect High School Parents & Friends Association;
• Treasurer and several times President of the Launceston Photographic Society and again, honoured with life membership in 2004 for his contribution to the Society over many years (John was a keen and excellent photographer);
• From the mid 1960’s to the early 1980’s, John sold tickets during the football season at York Park and coordinated the ticketing of all grounds in the greater Launceston area.
• In retirement, he and Ailsa joined the Prospect Combined Probus Club and was a member of the committee when he died;
• And a member also with Ailsa of the Heartbeat Club.

Fellow warden David Plumridge, in his eulogy on the occasion of John's Funeral wrote, “It hardly seems necessary to dilate on the personal qualities John displayed throughout his life: but I think of service, commitment, dependability, integrity, leadership, loyalty, his sense of humour, warmth.  As a mutual friend said of him last night, if there was one word that summed up John’s contribution to the many organizations he was involved in, it is “constancy”.  Not for John was the ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ – he gave fully to all that he was involved in over many years.  The impact he made – his legacy - speaks for itself.”

Ailsa died on 1st May 2013.

Source