10/9/1943 – 11/14/2025
Sarasota, Florida
“Reports of my death are no longer a subject of exaggeration.”
Tod Roberts (formal full name Thorold Erskine Roberts, born 10-09-1943 in Newton, Kansas).
I have spared my readers a lengthy conventional obituary from a person who seldom knows when to shut up. Suffice it to say that Tod lived a full and happy life and was, surprisingly to him, often surrounded by people who loved and cared about him and whom he loved and cared about a great deal, including his spouse Denise, daughter Caitlin Roberts, stepdaughter Jessica Petro, stepson Ben Petro, and most recently, grandson Derrick James Petro, born in March 2014. I also include my siblings Clenece Hills, Bruce Roberts, and (the late) Bryson Roberts, but am not reaching down to the next generations because there are just too damned many people to name. I am also not mentioning any cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, outlaws, friends, acquaintances, creditors, debtors, chance encounters, or strangers and fellow travelers because any attempt at an all-inclusive list is bound to offend someone that I either remember or forget.
It is not for me to say what Tod may or may not have made of his life on earth. I leave that to others, some of whom will tell the truth as they know it and some of whom will not. It is enough to know that he came into this sphere during World War II and left it during a period of near-war in the world. Some humans love to wage war. They are just not as evolved as they think they are.
Tod leaves no deep life philosophy which can guide any of you reading this blurb. You have to figure that out for yourselves. I urge the many students whom I have tried to teach since 1966 to find the path that makes them happiest and most productive, and I remind them that no wise choices are possible without one or several unwise choices along the way. To anyone I have wronged or offended in my lifetime, I ask humbly for forgiveness and understanding.
Siblings Note: Tod had academic achievements and a forever curious mind. A 1961 Lawrence High School graduate, followed by multiple degrees and distinctions at the University of Kansas, followed by doctoral work at Kent State University led him to corporate writing experiences and teaching posts, most recently at the University of South Florida.
I am looking forward to a new kind of life without the mortal restrictions of a human body and brain which wither into sickness and weakness with age. I expect to communicate with all of you, if not in your mortal presence then certainly after you yourselves pass through this veil into some other state of being. I am not sure which if any thinker found the ultimate secret, but I tend to side with those who see our souls and essences cycling in and out of various states of consciousness and incarnation. My next one will take the physical form of ashes a few inches underground in the peaceful little Walton, Kansas cemetery not far from where I was born.
Come visit me in Walton when you find the time!
Ave atque Vale.
Note: We are offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff.
We are glad to be able to offer this service free to community members in mourning. We believe the last thing our neighbors need in those difficult moments is another financial matter to worry about. Please consider a paid subscription to the Times to help us continue providing this service and news access for all.
To submit an obituary to The Lawrence Times, please fill out the form at this link. We’re sorry, but we cannot accept obituary submissions via email or other means.
If you are interested in sponsoring obituaries on our site through advertising, please email us at ads (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com.
Read other obituaries here.
