John G. Roberts Sr.

ROBERTS – John G. Sr., Ellicott City, Md., a retired steel executive, former general manager of the Sparrows Point Plant of Bethlehem Steel Corp., died Nov. 18, 2008. Mr. Roberts was born and raised in Johnstown, and was the youngest of 10 children. Upon graduation from high school, Mr. Roberts enlisted in the Army. When discharged he enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh, from which he graduated in 1951 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. He later completed graduate level management courses at both Harvard University and Cornell University. Mr. Roberts joined Bethlehem Steel Corp. as a member of the “looper” training program and was assigned to the Lackawanna plant. In 1963, he was named electrical engineer on the Burns Harbor plant, a then-new project for the company. Mr. Roberts was subsequently named superintendent of the electrical department at the Burns Harbor plant and in 1976 was appointed assistant general manager. Mr. Roberts was named general manager of facilities services at the corporate headquarters in 1979, general manager of the Bethlehem plant in 1982 and general manager of the Sparrows Point plant in 1983, where he remained until his retirement from Bethlehem Steel in 1985. At the time of his retirement, Mr. Roberts was the only person in Bethlehem’s history to be general manager at two core plants. In 1986, Mr. Roberts joined Copperweld Steel Co. in Warren, Ohio, and was named president and chief executive officer of CSC Industries Inc., parent company of Copperweld Steel in 1987, where he remained until 1990. Mr. Roberts retired to South Carolina in 1990 and was named a distinguished lecturer in the Graduate School of Business for the University of South Carolina. In the summer of 1990, he agreed to travel to Poland to work as a volunteer with the International Executive Services Corp. to help the Polish steel industry move from a fixed to a free economy. Mr. Roberts offered his expertise to Huta Katowice, then Poland’s largest steel mill with 16,000 employees, located in Katowice, Poland. Mr. Roberts later traveled to Resita, Romania, to assist a steel mill in that country as well as to Puerto Rico to be general manager of Bayamon Steel Processors Inc. He and his wife relocated to Ellicott City in 2001. Mr. Roberts married the former Rosemary Podrasky in 1952, who survives him, together with his four children: Kathleen A. Godbey, and her husband, Dustin Godbey, Valparaiso, Ind.; John G. Roberts Jr., and his wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, Chevy Chase; Margaret R. Roberts, Timonium; and Barbara R. Burke, and her husband, Timothy C. Burke, Hampstead; his sister, Margaret Goddard, Melbourne, Fla.; and six grandchildren: Rebecca Godbey, Katherine Godbey, Josephine Roberts, John G. Roberts III, Mary M. Burke and Timothy W. Burke. A friend of the family, David D. Downes, recalls Mr. Roberts’ career and his reputation to be highly respected in his dealings with both labor and management. Mr. Downes notes, “Jack Roberts had a remarkable talent of getting people to work together, secure union members’ trust and empower employees. He sought out the opinions of labor and union officials and maintained an excellent working relationship with United Steel Workers Locals 2610 and 2609. Jack was innovative and creative in his management style.” Mr. Downes recalls the story about a then-pioneering trip Mr. Roberts organized with union officials and management to tour Japanese plants. Wanting to respect local culture, Mr. Roberts privately completed an intensive course in the Japanese language prior to the scheduled trip and surprised both his hosts and fellow travelers by presenting his opening speech in Japanese. Mr. Downes further noted that Mr. Roberts was also highly instrumental in the transfer of Sparrows Point Country Club from Bethlehem Steel ownership to its current private ownership. While at Sparrows Point, Mr. Roberts was a member of the board of directors of First National Bank of Maryland and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. He received a citizen’s citation from the mayor of Baltimore and a certificate of merit from the city council of Baltimore in 1985. He also received a citation for valuable service from the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers, an organization of which he served as a national director and subsequently president in 1987. Mr. Roberts was a member of Eta Kappa Nu, the fraternal organization for Professional Electrical Engineers. Friends received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Moskal and Kennedy Colonial Funeral Home, Ohio Street and Highland Avenue. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, the Rev. Father Paul E. Turnbull, V.F., celebrant. Interment, Grandview Cemetery. Military graveside service by Conemaugh Valley Detachment, Marine Corps League.