On Aug. 18, 1966, Rollie and Kathy (Harding) Roberts welcomed Thomas James Roberts into the world at Burgess Health Center in Onawa. He and his siblings, Tammy and Tim, spent their childhood in Dow City and Dunlap until Tom graduated from Dunlap High School in 1984. Throughout that time, Tom had many entrepreneurial endeavors—notably managing a hard rock band called Mayhem. He shortly attended Iowa Western College before his spark for adventure set him off for Florida, where he bartended and helped manage a night club. It was only a matter of time before working various jobs put him on the path of meeting his future wife, Lisa Osborne. They were married in 1990, and had one daughter, Scarlett. After building a house for them, which he made sure was incredibly hurricane resistant, he started a hay delivery business. This enterprise eventually became a full-fledged trucking business in conjunction with his then wife and her father, Victor Osborne. His daughter would often accompany him on long trips all over the country.
Tom met the woman that he would spend the rest of his life with, Michelle Petron, in 2000. They were married on Oct. 18, 2004, and lived all over the map together, from Florida to Tennessee to Iowa. She had three daughters that he called his own and whom he cherished. He and Michelle both worked sales and management, and even managed a hotel together in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Sadly, after a bout with cancer, Michelle passed on Dec. 22, 2018. Tom mourned her until the day that he, too, left us.
Tom loved to discuss politics, probably too much. He was a huge Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins fan, although he had some strong opinions on Tom Brady. He had a passion for old vehicles and was currently restoring a ’69 Chevy pickup. It was a total lemon. As a kid, he was a darn good bowler, too, and was even on a Junior Bowling League. Tom lived a truly amazing life and will be missed in ways that words cannot express. He was loved.
Tom passed on Feb. 19, 2022, in the place that he was born: Burgess Health Center in Onawa. He was 55.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Michelle Roberts; step-brother, Quentin Heistand of Dow City; grandparents, Art and Ruth Roberts of Dunlap; grandfather, Calvin Harding of Whiting; and step-grandfather, Harold Conway of Whiting. He is survived by his mother, Kathy Roberts of Onawa; father, Rollie (Beth) Roberts of Dunlap; grandmother, Alice Conway of Onawa; brother, Tim Roberts of Whiting; sister, Tammy (Ron) Taylor of Onawa; step-siblings, Angie (Doug) Chase of Lincoln, Neb. and Tyson Heistand of Dunlap; nieces, Isabella Taylor of Onawa, Carlie Roberts of Whiting, and Cayden Roberts of Whiting; step-nieces, Tiffany (Tony) Leach of Omaha, Neb. and Hailey Bahntge of Lincoln; and daughters, Scarlett Roberts of Cocoa, Fla., Raecine (Nick) Boyd of Cape Coral, Fla., and Terri (Andres) Padilla and Brittney (Todd) Spooner all of Dracut, Mass.; as well as a whole litter of grandkids, ten to be exact; as well as many other loved ones.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at the Dunlap United Methodist Church with Pastor Aaron Terwilleger presiding over the service. The musician was Deb Garrett and the congregational hymns were “Softly and Tenderly” and “How Great Thou Art”. Tom’s final resting place is at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Dunlap.
Fouts Funeral Home in Dunlap was in charge of arrangements. www.foutsfuneralhome.com
