William C. Roberson

William Carl (Bill) Roberson, 87, died on Thursday, December 12, 2024, at Augusta Health after a brief illness. He was a favorite math teacher at Robert E. Lee High School (now Staunton High) for many years.

A native of Wise, VA, Bill was born April 29, 1937. He was preceded in death by his mother Eula F. Roberson, his beloved cousin Joyce Collins Redmond, and his infant son Neill. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Margaret McGeachy (Peggy) Roberson, his daughter Sarah Frances Roberson, his son William McGeachy Roberson and daughter-in-law Lesleigh Roberson, and his six grandchildren: Margaret, Logan, Charlotte, and Lorraine Carbajal, and Corbin and Adeline Caulder.

Bill graduated from J.J. Kelly High School (Wise, VA), Berea College (KY), and received master’s degrees in math education from the University of Virginia and in mathematics from James Madison University. Upon graduation from Berea, he began his teaching career teaching French at Wilson High School. After earning his master’s at UVa, he moved to teaching math at Lee High, a position he would hold for 37 years. Despite “retiring” in 1999, he continued his teaching part-time at Blue Ridge Community College and James Madison University as an adjunct professor for nearly two decades.

He was an amazing example of kindness, loyalty and generosity, and never said a negative word about anyone. He was a loving and faithful husband, a devoted father, and a doting granddad. He was so very proud of his family and constantly bragged on his children and grandkids to anyone who would listen. He always put the needs of others before his own, without a second thought or complaint.

Bill and Peggy lived most of their adult lives in Swoope, outside the Staunton city limits in Augusta County. He enjoyed the peace and solitude of the rolling hills and open farmland, and could often be found simply admiring the beauty of nature.

He was an accomplished gardener, and a fantastic cook despite rarely using a recipe or setting a timer. He enjoyed nothing more than sharing the flowers or vegetables he had grown or dishes he had cooked with his family and friends.

Despite being an intensely private man, he never met a stranger, and truly wanted to learn about the people he encountered. He constantly hunted for bargains in local stores and checked the TV or internet for updates on the stock market.

He and Peggy traveled extensively in their retirement years, visiting far-away places including England, France, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Ethiopia, Mexico, Japan, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, and the American West. While he loved exploring new places, his favorite part of every trip was returning to the comforts of home.

He was a member of the Valley of Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Augusta Bird Club, and Covenant Presbyterian Church where he served on Session, chaired the Fellowship Team, and served on the Outreach Team. He and his wife have been residents of Aviva Baldwin Park since May of 2023.

A memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. A reception will follow at the church. For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed on the Covenant Presbyterian Church Facebook page. The link is https://www.facebook.com/CovenantPresStaunton/videos/?id=100064619116845&sk=videos 

Memorial gifts in his honor can be made to the Faculty & Staff Memorial Scholarship through the Community Foundation of Central Blue Ridge at https://cfcbr.org/faculty-staff-memorial-scholarship/ (Community Foundation, P.O. Box 815, Staunton, VA 24402) or towards Nature Camp Scholarships through the Augusta Bird Club at https://augustabirdclub.org/product/donations/ (1057 Stuarts Draft Highway, Staunton, VA 24401).