Roberta E. "Elliott" Fulton

Roberta "Bert" or "Bird" Fulton (née Elliott), whose radiant spirit could outshine even her most meticulously matched paint swatches, took flight from this world on September 27, 2025, to reunite with her beloved Charley in a place where dementia's shadow can't touch a single memory. Her life was a vibrant canvas, painted with wit, warmth, and an unyielding love for her family.

Born on April 5, 1940, in the close-knit community of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, Roberta was a force of nature from the start. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in an era when women were expected to trade ambitions for aprons. But Roberta, ever the trailblazer, had other plans. As a chemist for Morton Thiokol, her genius for color-matching brought vibrancy to the world, but her artistry didn't stop at the lab. She transformed homes with bold wallpapers and daring paint choices, each room a masterpiece of her scientific precision and creative flair. Her love for puzzles-crosswords, Sudoku, and logic problems-kept her mind razor-sharp, while her passion for reading fueled a curiosity that burned bright until the end.

As the fiercely protective (and, yes, occasionally bossy) older sister to William and Patricia, Roberta ruled with a loving iron fist, proving that big sisters always know best. Her no-nonsense attitude, paired with her boundless heart, made her both feared and adored.

In 1973, Roberta married Charles Fulton, and together they wove a lively "Brady Bunch" of her daughters and his three sons and daughter. Her daughters-Sherri, Shelley, Lisa, and Kelly-were her greatest masterpieces and the light of her life, raised with love, laughter, and the occasional tease. Roberta instilled in them her fierce intelligence, stubborn independence, and relentless determination, shaping them into smart, tenacious women who carry her legacy forward. Each daughter mirrors Roberta's trailblazing spirit, tackling life's challenges with the same bold creativity and resilience, whether in their careers, passions, or steadfast devotion to family.

Roberta and Charley shared a passion for adventure, jetting off to tropical paradises like the warm waters and sun-kissed beaches of the Caribbean. Before his passing in 2006, they filled their lives with vibrant journeys, savoring turquoise waters and warm sands, their love for each other as vivid as the destinations they explored.

Roberta is survived by her loving daughters, Sherri (Vern) Borkholder, Shelley (Bob) Vernatter, Lisa (Steve) Fulton, and Kelly Lundberg, her beloved brother, William Elliott, and sister, Patricia Tosch, who carry forward her fierce love and protective spirit. She also leaves behind nine cherished grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, each a spark of her vibrant legacy, destined to paint the world with the same boldness and heart. She was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by all whose lives she touched.

In her final years, dementia dimmed the colors of Roberta's world, stealing moments of her clarity. But now, free from those shadows, she soars once more, hand in hand with her Charley. Fly free, Bird-the heavens just got a lot more colorful.

Roberta's life will be celebrated with a memorial gathering from 2:00 – 4:00 pm on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw, Indiana. Memorial donations in her memory may be directed to Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County, 1048 S. 325 W., Pierceton, IN 46562.