Jayne Gest photo
Dr. Harold “Harry” Roberts lost his battle with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease April 10 when he died at 59. Roberts, former superintendent of the Caesar Rodney School District, was a teacher and administrator in the CR district for 35 years.



Great leader, great person Harry Roberts dies at 59


By Jayne Gest
Staff writer
jayne.gest@doverpost.com

Dr. Harold “Harry” Roberts, 59, former superintendent of the Caesar Rodney School District, died April 10 of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Those in the education community and elsewhere quickly lauded Roberts for making a significant impact on the community and the state of Delaware.

As a tribute to Roberts’ memory, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner ordered the Delaware state flag be lowered to half-staff until after the funeral, Tuesday.

Diagnosed with ALS in May 2006, Roberts was forced to retire from his job as the district superintendent a year later after 35 years of being a teacher and administrator in the district.

“We’re all pretty devastated and can’t believe how quickly this happened,” said his wife Tricia Roberts on Friday. She reports her husband was his old self, right to the very end – very stubborn and making jokes all the time.

“He loved this community. He loved Caesar Rodney. But mostly he loved his family,” she said. Roberts was proudest of being a grandfather to Elle, even with all the accolades he received throughout his career.

He received the state’s highest honor, The Order of the First State, from Minner at his retirement as well as being selected as Superintendent of the Year. Roberts also was selected by Dover Post readers as the Great Person for the year 2007.

“It’s certainly a loss to the school district and the entire state of Delaware,” said CR’s Superintendent Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, who personally felt Roberts was a good friend and great mentor.

“He made a large contribution to education throughout the state, but his loss will certainly be felt the most here in his home district,” Fitzgerald said.

Roberts wrote in an email soon after he announced his retirement that he was proudest of being approachable throughout his career in education.

“It was always my goal to be able to put my arm around the shoulders of any student in my school, no matter how surly, upset, macho or just downright difficult they were,” he wrote. “The fact that I was able to do that over 22 years as a building administrator is, to me, my greatest accomplishment. I think students allowed that, no matter how upset they were, because they understood that I cared about them, respected them and would treat them fairly.”

Known for his athletic ability, compassion, hard work ethic and knack for cracking the right joke in tension-filled moments, Roberts spoke through a voice machine nicknamed “Frank” at last year’s CR graduation. He was an accomplished speaker who could bring a crowd to its feet, as he did last June. In addition, despite the heat and the effects of his illness he stood and shook every graduate’s hand as they crossed the stage.

A close friend, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lou Ann Carlson, wrote in an email how Roberts emulated the values and work ethic of a great leader.

“Abraham Lincoln once wrote, ‘When you make it to the top, turn and reach down for the person behind you,’” she wrote. “Harry always ‘brought people up’ and helped them achieve a potential that was thought unreachable. He was our leader, our mentor, our teacher and our friend.”

For Roberts’ obituary, click here.
http://www.doverpost.com/pages/newsRoberts.html