Roberta McGregor

1925 - 2024

Roberta McGregor
September 23, 1925 - February 18, 2024
Roberta Katherine Metzler McGregor, affectionately known as Bobbie, passed away on February 18, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. Born on September 23, 1925, in Youngstown, Ohio, to parents Frederick Ernest August Albert von Rouseler Metzler and Esther Katherine Crawford, Bobbie experienced a diverse upbringing. She spent time in New Orleans, lived on the Crawford family ranch in Menard, Texas during the Great Depression, and eventually settled in Connecticut. There, she completed her high school education at Crosby High School in Waterbury in 1944.

Bobbie pursued higher education at the University of Connecticut, earning a Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition in 1948. Her degree led her to join the U.S. Army's Women's Medical Specialist Corps as a second lieutenant to become a registered dietitian. It was at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital where she met Malcolm Donald McGregor, an Air Force officer. The couple married in Las Vegas in 1951. Bobbie later transferred to the Air Force, charmed by their uniforms.

The McGregor's moved to Billings, Montana in the 1950s and eventually made their home in San Antonio, Texas in 1974. In the late 1970s, Roberta's passion for knowledge drove her back to academia, where she obtained a BA in Native American Studies from the University of the Incarnate Word and a MA in Anthropology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her academic pursuits culminated in her role as the Curator of Anthropology at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, where she notably curated the impressive Ancient Texans exhibit. Roberta, in addition to being a published author, actively engaged in various archaeological excavations such as those in the Lower Pecos region and at the Alamo. Furthermore, she garnered accolades as an award-winning gardener.

Roberta's legacy lives on through her sons, Peter Malcolm McGregor (partnered to Mirella) of Adelaide, Australia, and John Crawford McGregor (married to David) of Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as her two cherished granddaughters, Elise Crawford Lyn and Sophie Campbell Lyn. Remembered as an extraordinary mother, she was celebrated for her fun-loving spirit and her unwavering support and encouragement of her children.

A celebration of Bobbie's life will be organized at a future date. Known for her staunch support of human rights, Bobbie took pride in her involvement with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In lieu of flowers, her family encourages those moved by her memory to consider a donation to the SPLC in her memory.