William Clifford Roberson

To know William Clifford Roberson was to know a man of fascinating contrasts: a protector with a quiet strength, a thinker with outspoken convictions, and a profoundly intelligent mind that never stopped asking questions. On July 15th, 2025, at the age of 64, this unique and cherished man passed away in the Bronx, leaving a silence in the lives of all who loved him.

Born in New York City on May 14, 1961, to William and Priscilla Roberson, William was the eldest of seven children, a role he embraced with a lifetime of guidance and protection. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable. It led him to earn two bachelor degrees, one in Computer Science from the Polytechnic Institute in Brooklyn and another from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, building the twin foundations of technology and justice that would define his life.

William served the people of New York with integrity and honor as an NYPD officer until his retirement in 2004, after 20 years of service. For him, retirement was not an end, but a liberation - a chance to pursue his boundless curiosity. He dove into new trades, building computers, preparing taxes, and taking classes in everything from electrical work to plumbing. His family will recall the many ambitious projects he started around the house, each a symbol of a mind more captivated by the challenge of a new beginning than the final detail.

His home was a sanctuary for his passions. The soundtrack to his life was often literally a soundtrack, with the scores of science fiction films filling the rooms. It was a library of world history, a workshop for technology, and the arena for countless games of chess and strategy that sharpened his tactical mind. Whether he was binge-watching a favorite sci-fi series or engaging in a friendly debate on science, technology, or history, he was always exploring, always thinking.

He was his family sounding board and informal advisor (whether you liked it or not), their resident intellectual, and a constant source of information, wisdom, and commentary. His unique presence, a blend of fierce intellect, and lively debate, will be profoundly missed by his six loving siblings: Varinia, Darrick, Virna, Sterling, Chevelle, and John; sisters-in-law Crystal and Delice; brother-in-law Ernest; and will be remembered by his nieces and nephews Rochelle, Sterling, Maxim, Sela, Tory and Troy: and a host of cousins, childhood friends, and colleagues whose lives he enriched.

"A mind that never stopped questioning, a heart that never stopped caring"