Many who knew Bob Roberts might describe him as well rounded. A 1961 Oakland High School graduate, Roberts first went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in 1965 from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and later, a master’s in Latin American Studies from San Jose State.
Most perhaps best knew Roberts through his passion for helping kids and serving communities. He enjoyed a career of nearly six decades working in and ultimately managing two Oakland toy stores: the Lakeshore Toyhouse and later the Montclair Toyhouse in Oakland’s Montclair district. Through this cherished endeavor, Roberts made numerous friends, often selling toys to three generations of families.
Roberts also touched many lives through his longtime involvement in high school sports, which included roles as commissioner of the Catholic Athletic League, Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League, East Shore Athletic League and through his work in the California Interscholastic Federation-North Coast Section (NCS) souvenir program.
Roberts’ relatives, the East Bay high school sports community, toy store customers, professional associates and numerous other friends and acquaintances were saddened by the news that Roberts had died Sept. 12 in his Moraga home. He was 76.
“I talked to one of his brothers, who told me (Bob) had cancer but kept it private,” said Carol Leonard, who had worked with Roberts since she was 14, a span of 44 years, at the Montclair Toyhouse in the Montclair Village shopping district and with the NCS souvenir program. “He was a very proud man.”
Roberts’ efforts were well appreciated. In 2015, the NCS honored him for his “Unique and Distinguished Service” to the section.
“I knew Bob for many years,” said former NCS Commissioner Gil Lemmon. “He was a wonderful person, very supportive of NCS. By that, I mean educational athletics. He thought high school athletics was a good avenue for kids to pursue.”
For younger generations, Roberts was a kind of mentor, especially in his role with the souvenir program.
“He spoke fluent Spanish,” Lemmon said. “Many of the kids he took under his wing were Spanish-speaking. He learned their language as well as (speaking) English; I’m sure most of those kids appreciated that.”
School authorities also came to appreciate and respect Roberts as a league commissioner.
“He loved to speak up at board of managers meetings,” Lemmon said. “The principals of those league schools appreciated his ability to lead. They wanted a good league commissioner to guide them.”
Many within the NCS and its member leagues and schools came to know Roberts as a man with strong opinions and convictions, which he did not hesitate to share, especially at board meetings. An online obituary for Roberts tells of how when “Bob received a birthday card that read: ‘Those who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do,’ he smiled, as if to say, ‘Finally, somebody gets it.’ ”
Born April 21, 1944, in Oakland to Sidney Ernest Roberts Jr. and Mary Dell Roberts, Sidney Ernest Roberts III became more commonly known as “Bob” to most. In addition to his university degrees, career in toys and his longtime involvement in high school sports, many might not have known of Roberts’s love for British detective novels. Overall, he was an avid reader.
“He was just a nice person and wanted to support students in their education through high school and beyond,” Lemmon said.
Roberts never married and had children of his own, but extended family was very important to him. Brothers Bruce Roberts, of Ashland, Oregon, and Peter Roberts, of Napa County’s Yountville, survive him, as does sister Mary Ann Andreotti, of Castro Valley. Bob Roberts also leaves behind sister-in-law Pokii Roberts, a decades-long supportive and devoted friend, as well as nieces Sydney Roberts of Santa Barbara, Hilary Wells of Ashland, Oregon, and Elissa Andreotti of Alamo, and nephews Jared Andreotti, of Castro Valley, and Jason Roberts, of Windsor, plus many grandnieces and grandnephews.
“He was very family-oriented with his brothers and sister and nieces and nephews,” Leonard said. “He’s going to be missed by a whole lot of people.”
No service was held in memory of Roberts because of COVID-19 restrictions. His family encourages those wishing to honor his memory to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.