John William (Bill) Roberts

Feb. 22, 1941 - July 13, 2024

John William (Bill) Roberts passed away on July 13, 2024 in Portland, OR. He was born February 22, 1941 in Moscow, ID to John “Doc” and Pauline Roberts. Having the same first name as his well-known father, he was called Billy as a child and Bill throughout his educational years. After graduating college, he decided to go by John, but was still called Bill by family and old friends. In the fall of 1944, John’s father took a job teaching at Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR. John spent his youth in Forest Grove, graduating from Pacific Grove High School in 1959 and Pacific University in 1963. He became a math teacher after graduation and it was at a teaching conference in San Francisco, CA, that he met Kathy Cummins. They married in 1966 and almost immediately headed off to Guam where they both taught math. They spent the next couple of years teaching as well as traveling the islands and countries of the Pacific Rim before landing in Hawaii where John completed his Masters in Education at the University of Hawaii. They subsequently moved to Yakima, WA and then Phoenix, AZ where John left teaching for an opportunity at GE. That led to a computer sales position at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) which took them to Long Island, NY, Tucson, AZ, and finally Austin, TX. John’s sales abilities were undeniable and resulted in several million dollars of sales and recognition in the top 10% of DEC sales for at least 5 years in the late 70s and early 80s. In 1991, John retired from DEC after 21 years. After retirement, he spent a handful of years selling real estate and then several years selling wellness products. After his wife, Kathy, passed away unexpectedly in 1996, John stayed in Austin, TX for a few more years before relocating to McMinnville, OR to be closer to his younger brother, Tim, and his family. He was deeply affected by Tim’s passing last year. When asked how tall he was, John liked to reply “5’19”” to see the reaction he’d get. While his height was particularly well-suited to the basketball he played in both high school and college, he also enjoyed participating in tennis, golf, sailing, scuba diving, waterskiing, table tennis, bike tours, karate and rock climbing at various points of his life. That same adventurous spirit was seen in his love of travel as John would proudly tell you that he had “visited 42 countries.” The family wishes to thank John’s former neighbors and forever-unofficially-adopted-family, Jackie and Dale Weisenberger, for help beyond words these last few years. John is survived by his son, Brad Roberts, his wife Anne Marie Burgoyne and their daughters Sydney and Harper; his daughter, Becky Czarnik, her husband Cory Czarnik, and their sons Adam and Jeffrey; his older sister Helen BeVier; and several nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, August 3, at 12p at the Ackerly at Timberland, 11795 NW Cedar Falls Dr, Portland, OR. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a nature-focused organization of your choice such as The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, or the Pacific Whale Foundation; all organizations that John (Bill) supported over the years.