Laurie Roberts

Ancestors

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Biography

Laurie Roberts was born in New South Wales, Australia

Laurence Adair Roberts was born on 12th June 1938, at Haberfield, New South Wales, Australia, the youngest of seven children. His parents were Edward Arthur Roberts MM (1893 - 1966) and Mona Veronica (Murphy) Roberts (1892 - 1973).

His siblings were...

1. Mona Veronica Roberts (1923 - 2001)
2. Private (Roberts) Gilbert ( - living)
3. John Austin Roberts (1928 - 2017)
4. Joan Patricia (Roberts) Coates (1930 - 2018)
5. Private DNA Roberts (1933 - living)
6. Mary Bernadette Roberts (1935 - 2015)

As a child Laurie attended St Joan of Arc School at Haberfield and later went on to De La Salle College at Haberfield and Ashfield. Laurie was a prefect at ???. Laurie remained friendly with many of his classmates from the 'Class of 1955', a number of whom attended his funeral in 2006 and even placed a notice in the paper when he died.

Always a good looking child at school he was known as Dreamboat Roberts having had his photo published in the school magazine under that name!

After school Laurie went to university and studied to be a solicitor. He soon joined the Public Trust Office and was admitted to the bar in 1977. He worked there until he had to take early retirement in about 1986 due to ill health. Laurie was extremely social and maintained friendships with many of his colleagues over the years.

Laurie and Verna Why first became engaged shortly before 1968, but Laurie soon broke off the engagement and afterwards married Josephine Mary Mockford in 1969. Josephine was a psychiatric nurse, after they were married they first lived in a unit in Meadowbank and later a house in Lambert Street, West Ryde, NSW. Everyone in our family loved Josephine and we were all very disappointed that they divorced in 1986, with a decree neci being issued in 1994. They had no children.

After Laurie left the Public Trust Office he started a business doing wills, visiting clients in their own homes. Laurie was very excited about this and even appeared in a segment on 'A Current Affair' showcasing his new venture. At that time, it was a unique service.

Laurie met Verna again in the early 90's and they started seeing each other. Verna had never married. Verna developed leukaemia and became quite ill, nearly going blind. Laurie married her in mid 2006 when she was living in a nursing home, it was thought she didn't have long to live.

Laurie was known for his great sense of humour, a practical joker with a love of puns. He liked to tease in a most fun loving way. Laurie was deeply religious and also loved languages often having long scholarly chats with his siblings regarding the origins of words, particularly their Latin roots.

Laurence died on 2 September 2006 aged 68. He is buried at Rookwood cemetery alongside his wife Verna. It was quite a shock that Laurie predeceased Verna, dying shortly after their marriage. It was the result an unfortunate accident in his garage, where he accidentally drove the car forward and bruised his rib cage. The X rays that followed revealed significant and advanced lung cancer. Laurie refused to have treatment and went into a rapid decline. Being the youngest of 7 siblings his death was unexpected. Laurie was always the one to bring the family together

Laurie's sister Joan was quite angry that a eulogy was given at his funeral, against Laurie's expressed wishes.

Reflections on the Life of Laurie ROBERTS, Fr Graeme Malone s.s.s. 2006^[1]

Laurie requested in his will that there be no eulogy from his family or friends at his Funeral. While we respect Laurie’s wishes, it would be remiss of me at this point dear friends, if I didn’t set something of the scene this morning of the man whose life and love we celebrate and rightfully honour today. So Laurie, I am your brother in Christ, not your relative, nor a personal friend, so please, forgive my indulgence as together, among your family and friends, I reflect today a little on your life’s journey.

Laurence Adair Roberts, or ‘Laurie’ as he liked to be known, was the youngest of seven siblings and was born at Haberfield on the 12th June, 1938. We can only imagine dear friends, how the effects of the Great World War and the years which quickly followed it, shaped the Australian way of life for his parents and for his older 2 brothers and 4 sisters. Laurie was the youngest, born to parents Edward and Mona. They must have delighted in all of their children, Veronica, who became Sister Veronica – a Religious of the Presentation Order, - a second daughter soon appeared in the person of Margaret, then arrived the first boy – John, another daughter followed in Joan, then another boy – Barry, another girl in Mary, and finally, Laurie was born. What clever parenting; girl, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy! Many of Laurie’s siblings are here with us today as we gather in thanksgiving and celebration for the life and love which Laurie gave so generously to so many people throughout the course of his 68 years.

In the midst of Laurie’s life, there appeared at one time, a lovely woman by the name of Verna, whom, although initially capturing Laurie’s attention, would in due time, again capture Laurie’s deep love and his generous heart, but more about this in a moment!

One of the fond memories recalled in recent days by members of Laurie’s family has been his ability to foster deep and enduring friendships with a variety of people from all different walks of life. Friendship was obviously something Laurie valued, and words of affection and appreciation for his strong friendship with Sister Maureen and among members of the Presentation Sisters have come up in reminiscences of Laurie on a number of occasions during these days. Sister Maureen, Laurie would be so pleased to have you attend here today. Thank you!

And then there are numerous friends and work colleagues present also from his long employment as a solicitor working among valued colleagues at the Public Trust Office for most of his working life.

Family and friends know that Laurie possessed a ‘dry and clever wit’. His sense of humour was, I’m told, renowned. So too, was Laurie’s character as a kind and generous person, someone who was considered by almost everyone who encountered him to be ‘a lovely person’ who often in a very kind way, talked a lot, to many people, and countless faces were, in the course of his life, certainly helped and aided by Laurie.

We are not privy to his school days, and perhaps – just as well, but I am sure his brothers and sisters remember them, but these past few days Verna and others have had several of Laurie’s closest friends recall affectionately their genuine friendships with him over many happy years.

Laurie was also a skilled chess player, mostly on the computer, and was someone who enjoyed reading and generally liked being around people, and people, in turn, liked ‘being around’ Laurie. He must have shared many happy hours with family and friends, refining his conversational skills as a favourite source of social interaction.

It would appear that Laurie didn’t seem to rush into things. Having met Verna a number of years previous, it was only in more recent years and particularly in just the past four short months, that he eventually married his beloved Verna, at a ceremony in St Joan of Arc Parish – Haberfield, on 30th April of this year. It was a happy day for you both.

Verna, as you well know, Laurie’s enduring love and personal physical care for you, coupled with his deep affection, was really never in question over those many years. He just took a ‘little while’ to bring it all together! And so, his relatively sudden and unexpected death – after a brief illness, his operation and a shorter convalesce, has come to us all as a terrible loss, and an unspeakable burden for yourself particularly, Verna.

We are with you today, Verna, and with the members of Laurie’s surviving family, to offer you all our loving support and our prayer in this, sad time of your loss.

No doubt you all have many fond and loving memories of the Laurie you loved and knew as a husband, a brother, a relative and friend. Among your memories are woven his personal joys and his own human struggles in the midst of life’s journey.

Laurie, I am sure, tried his best in all that he achieved, so let us remember him today, honestly and compassionately and celebrate his living friendship; his dry sense of humour; his personal love of his Catholic Faith, if not that of the Institutional Church; and all that Laurie embraced so generously in the course of his life shared with us.

Laurie, in turn, loved you all deeply with a zeal for life, and so today, let us all honour his memory, his values and his life, in a spirit of personal faith. Let each one of us together, thank God for the way he lived his life despite his illness and sudden decline and take strength from the way he bore the personal challenges of life. Let us celebrate with thanks all Laurie has given to us, all he has been, and all that he will continue to be for us beyond his death. Laurie’s life has indeed been of great value. We honour it and entrust it now eternally to God’s care.

Sources

1. ↑ Reflections on the Life of Laurie ROBERTS, Fr Graeme Malone s.s.s. 2006

• Personal knowledge