Stefanie (Stevie) Roberts
Stefanie (Stevie) Roberts
Stefanie Roberts: A happy spirit and guiding light.
Stefanie (Stevie) Roberts, who dearly loved her time and her friends on Sanibel, died on September 16th at her home on Walloon Lake in Northern Michigan.
Stefanie Kerbawy grew up in Grosse Pointe Park where she attended high school. She continued her education at the University of Michigan where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Following graduation in 1963, Stevie taught at elementary schools in Royal Oak and Okemos, Michigan.
At the University of Michigan she met her husband-to-be, Jack Roberts. Stevie and Jack raised three sons and participated in a variety of local organizations and activities in Troy, Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. In 2002 they moved to their summer cottage on Walloon Lake, spending their winters at their home on Sanibel Island. The couple celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in August.
Stevie was an avid gardener, many years a volunteer at Cranbrook Gardens, in Bloomfield Hills and at the Native Plant Nursery in Sanibel. A group of her tennis-playing Sanibel friends is sponsoring a tree to be planted in Stevie’s memory by the SCCF nursery.
Needlepointing, especially with her Walloon “Stitching Group,” was one of the highlights of every week. She also enjoyed tennis with her Walloon and Sanibel friends. And a good book, preferably a British mystery, was part of most every day as was her usual 5:30 PM gin and tonic!
Her son, Mark, said that what he’ll always remember is her smiling, happy spirit which never failed to brighten the room when she came in.
Stevie is survived by her husband Jack; sons, Bradford, Mark and Andrew (Andrea); sister JoAnn Kerbawy; brother Kristofer Kerbawy and two grand daughters.
A memorial service was held at First Presbyterian Church of Boyne City, Michigan at 1:00 PM on Monday, September 22nd.
In lieu of flowers the family suggested a donation to the cardiac clinic in care of McLaren Northern Michigan Foundation, 360 Connable Ave, Petoskey, MI 49770.