William “Buck” John Roberts, Jr. – 92

Our father, William John Roberts, Jr., known to most as “Buck” Roberts, went to be with our Lord and Savior early Sunday morning, January 18, 2026. He died after a long, healthy, and happy life, and a brief illness. He was 92 years old.

He is survived by his wife of over 71 years, Edith Marlene (Hilbert) Roberts, known to family and friends as “Babe” Roberts, by their son, Matthew Paul Roberts and Matt’s wife Julie (Rourke) Roberts, and by their three daughters, Laura Gayle Roberts, Rebecca Jane (Roberts) Harvey, and Elizabeth Ann (Roberts) VerHey and her husband, Timothy VerHey.

He also is survived by his 11 grandchildren, Abigail Jane (Gyllstrom) Bellamy, Molly Anne (Gyllstrom) Werner, Emily Katherine (Stock) Fink, Shelley Eileen (Roberts) Frost, Matthew Jacob Roberts, Christina Clare “CC” Roberts, William Roberts Harvey, John Michael Harvey, Paul Matthew Harvey, Madeline Clare VerHey, and Samuel Peter VerHey, by 19 great grandchildren, and by many nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his father, William John Roberts, Sr., his mother, Thelma (Meyer) Roberts, both of Three Rivers, his sister, Betty (Roberts) Hackenberg, and his brothers, James Roberts, Jackie Paul Roberts, Clarence (“Jeep”) Roberts, and John Roberts.

Dad was born on November 15, 1933, which, being opening day for deer season, may have been the origin of his nickname, Buck. He attended Three Rivers High School where he competed in Track and Field, and placed at the State Track and Field competition in Pole Vault. He graduated from Three Rivers High School in 1951, and completed one year at Western Michigan University before returning to Three Rivers to work in his father’s excavating business. In 1954, he married our beautiful and accomplished mother, Marlene “Babe” Hilbert, who is a 1952 graduate of Three Rivers High School.

Shortly thereafter, Dad was drafted into the United States Army where he served three years. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1957, he returned to Three Rivers where he and Mom bought a house and some land. The fact that the house was not on the land that they bought was not a problem for Dad; being a Roberts, he picked up the house and moved it to the land. Over the next several years, he moved additional houses in Three Rivers (but only when the owners requested it).

Dad and Mom then built a business in Three Rivers, The Village Mobile Home Court, which they expanded and operated over the next 60 years. Dad did most of the work of building the business himself, excavating, pouring concrete, and building roads and infrastructure; Mom ran the office from our home while supervising four young children.

In 1962, Dad joined the Three Rivers Police Department, where he later was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Dad often worked all morning at The Village, pouring concrete or excavating, before heading off to work a full afternoon and evening shift as a police officer. In 1967, Dad received an award for Outstanding Service in the Performance of Duty from the Three Rivers Civitan Club after apprehending fleeing bank robbers in a high-speed chase through Three Rivers.

Later in 1967, Dad left the police department because he and Mom opened another business, Buck’s Equipment, on M-60 west of Three Rivers, selling Massey Ferguson tractors. In 1969, Dad sold that business and rejoined the police department, where he worked until, in 1974, Dad and Mom bought land on Corey Lake just west of Three Rivers. There, they renovated an 1840s farm house and built Roberts Campground, which they have owned and operated since that time. Again, Dad did most of the work himself with the help of his children, whom he made sure became proficient in laying sewer pipe, driving equipment, mowing, painting, garbage collecting, and restroom cleaning. Mom again ran the office of the business while attempting to supervise four teenaged children. Dad also decided to learn to farm, and spent the next several years raising corn, wheat, oats, and alfalfa, and teaching his children to drive tractors and to bale hay.

In 1994, Dad and Mom built River Run Estates in Three Rivers, which they operated for many years before selling both that business and The Village in 2019.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Dad was prominent in Michigan archery; one year at the State archery competition Dad scored one arrow away from breaking the then-existing Olympic archery record. Dad later moved from archery to trapshooting, where he was prominent in Michigan and national competitions, placing in both the Michigan State competition and The Grand American Trapshooting Championship. He also regularly competed at the annual Southern Grand American trap shoot.

As his grandchildren arrived and grew older, Dad and Mom bought horses, built a horse barn, fenced a pasture and a riding ring, and spent many weekends hauling horses to 4H competitions.

Throughout his life, Dad loved hunting and fishing. Many years, he and his son, sons-in-law, and grandsons chartered flights deep into Canada to fish. Dad also learned to fly airplanes, and bought a Cessna airplane with his brother Jeep. He often flew on the weekends and took us kids for plane rides.

Dad loved nature and was a faithful steward of the land. Over the years, he planted thousands of trees on the property at Corey Lake, and could walk through the woods and identify any species of tree, even in the winter, just by the look of the bark and the habit of the tree.

Over the years, Dad was a member of the Fabius Grange, served on the St. Joseph County Fair Board, and served on the Church Council at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Three Rivers.

Dad did not want a funeral service. Although Dad appreciated a compliment as much as anyone, he was not one for any sort of public fuss. So we will respect his wishes and, as we have done (mostly) for many years, we will mind our Dad. But I think he would permit us to say a few words here.

After 92 years of a life well-lived, we knew that Dad would someday move on to greener pastures with our Heavenly Father. I am nonetheless startled by his absence from the family table, from his chair in the living room and on the porch, from his desk in the campground office. As I walk the acres he loved, I look for him, for his truck, for his wave. I listen for his voice, for his astute observations, for his delightful sense of humor. I long once again to seek his advice on matters large and small, what car to buy, what path to pursue, what “a person ought to do.” His voice is the voice inside my head, reminding me not to drive too fast, that money is nice but not when it gives rise to greed, that the opinions of others may be considered but should not prevail over one’s own judgment.

I am not a poet, but my mother, who always has shared with us her love of poetry, perhaps will suggest for Dad the following words of Robert Louis Stevenson: “Home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter home from the hill.”

My sister Becky eloquently describes below the father we all know and love. For myself, my brother, and my sisters, I think I can summarize some of our thoughts by paraphrasing the words of Dan Folgelberg:

“We thank you for your wisdom, and your stories of the road. We thank you for the freedom when it came our times to go. We thank you for the kindness, and the times when you got tough. And Dad, I don’t think that we said ‘I love you’ near enough. The Leader of the Band grew tired and his eyes were growing old. But his blood runs through our instruments and his song is in our souls. Our lives have been a poor attempt to imitate the man, we are a living legacy to the Leader of the Band.”

But a Roberts always likes to have the last word. And Dad preferred country music. So I think our Dad, who always was succinct and managed to hit closer to the mark with fewer words than I ever can, might respond in the words of George Strait: “The last goodbye’s the hardest one to say. This is where the cowboy rides away.”

~ Liz (Roberts) VerHey

Dad was larger than life to me . . strong (in body and in mind), wise, and kind. I could talk to him about anything. He was always interested, and his guidance was succinct and spot-on. There when you called . . and ready if you needed him. I will forever hear his cheerful ‘Hi Bec’ greeting whenever I called or walked into the house.

What I admired so much about Dad was his fortitude. He had a strong moral compass and a very logical mind . . and so was never at a loss about what the next move should be. He knew his mind . . and I can’t recall the last time he was wrong. What a gift it was to grow up and be raised around such strength of character. I think it has defined us all. We know and love that we are ‘Roberts’.

And I smile to think that all his grandchildren saw their Grandad in the same way as his kids. It says a lot about a man who can so greatly influence two generations.

I can still hear Dad’s voice so clearly, that I fear it has not sunk in that he will not answer when I call . . or that I won’t find him in all the familiar places. And, ironically, I find myself asking . . ‘what would Dad do?’ and ‘what would Dad say about this?’ I am heartened by the knowledge that Dad is with Christ, and ‘where Jesus is, ‘tis Heaven there’. He filled his seat at life’s table well and I know God is pleased to welcome him back home.

~ Rebecca (Roberts) Harvey

Dad did not want a funeral service. Although Dad appreciated a compliment as much as anyone, he was not one for any sort of public fuss. So we will respect his wishes and, as we have done (mostly) for many years, we will mind our Dad.

Arrangements by Hohner Funeral Home.