William Roberts

1947 - 2016

William Reynolds Roberts

March 31, 1947 - July 21,2016

Elk Creek

William "Billy" Reynolds Roberts succumbed to lung cancer on Thursday, July 21, 2016, at his home in Elk Creek, Virginia, while surrounded by family and friends.

William was born in Raleigh, NC, on March 31, 1947, to Dr. William Milner Roberts and Irene Reynolds Roberts. He leaves behind his wife, Joyce, and sons Will (Ele) of Raleigh, NC, and Drew (Laura) of Siloam, NC.

He was blessed by one grandson, William "Finn" Roberts of Raleigh, NC. He also leaves behind two sisters, Carolyn Clifton (Tom Beason) of Winston-Salem, NC; Jean Kitchin (Hodge) of Scotland Neck, NC; and Meredith Delavergne, mother of son Will of Raleigh, NC.

William graduated in 1965 from Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh and then from NC State with a B.S. in Psychology. He found the Blue Ridge Mountains in the early 1970's, moved there, and never left.

In 1982 he started his own construction business, William Roberts & Company, and built many fine dream homes and other structures in the Twin County area near Galax, VA. Many of his clients remain his good friends. He retired from his business in 2013. He is well remembered for his warm smile, gracious greeting, and ball cap with a pencil behind his ear.

Hobbies that he enjoyed include reading, traveling, gardening, and doing all things relating to nature. He was a very curious man and loved to share his knowledge with others, especially children.

William was known by many as the "bird man." He was an avid birder, as well as a permitted wildlife rehabilitator who especially loved ravens and birds of prey.

William and Joyce travelled extensively in pursuit of their birding hobby. Over the years they visited domestic bird havens out West; in Edisto and Charleston, South Carolina; in Florida; at the Outer Banks; and at many stops along the Eastern Shore. They explored the wildlife in exotic locales, such as Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, and Panama. William also enjoyed birding trips to Nebraska and Louisiana with some of his best friends, but some of the most special of birding discoveries took place in their very own backyard.

In his community he was very active, always striving to help make the world a better place. In the past he served on the Alleghany Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and the Twin County Regional Hospital Board of Directors, both of which fostered and furthered a keen interest in healthcare.

Recently, he served as Co-chair of the Grayson County Democratic Party and as a board member of both the Blue Ridge Discovery Center and the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts.

The family extends an invitation to a casual memorial service on Sunday, August 21, at 2 p.m. at Matthews Living History Farm Museum in Galax, VA. For directions and information please visit www.matthewsfarmmuseum.org

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to either The Blue Ridge Discovery Center (blueridgediscoverycenter.org), 1267 Wilson Hwy, Mouth of Wilson, VA 24363 or The Chestnut Creek School of the Arts (chestnutcreekarts.org), 100 N. Main St., Galax, VA 24333.