Glade W. Roberts

Glade William Roberts was born in American Fork, Utah on August 25, 1927 and passed on February 17, 2021. Glade was the third son born to Ralph Joseph and Lorena Maude Roberts. He was proceeded in death by his brothers Eugene, Merrill and Max. He was also preceded in death by the love of his life and wife of 73 years, Dora Dean Roberts. They had four children, Carolyn Parker, Dean Roberts, Cherie Adie and Bim Roberts. Glade and Dora had 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

His early years were divided between a small home in American Fork and summers helping his father herd sheep in the Uintah and Wasatch National forests as well as east of the Strawberry Reservoir. He learned to ride and manage a horse at an early age. His childhood heroes were Gene Autrey and Hop A Long Cassidy. Glade recalled, “It seemed my surviving childhood was nothing short of a miracle. I have never been bored and probably had more curiosity than I needed.” He was active in the Boy Scouts and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming one of the first Air Scouts in Utah county. He joined the Civil Air patrol and began taking flying lessons at fifteen and was flying solo at sixteen.

Glade enlisted in the Navy after his junior year in high school. He was stationed in the South Pacific on the Marianna Islands in the combat aircraft unit. Later he was transferred to the U.S.S Boxer CV-21, an aircraft carrier with 3000 men and a full squadron of torpedo planes, dive-bombers and fighters. His favorite wartime assignment was as plane captain for the F7Fs on the carrier.

Upon returning home Glade completed high school, then took a job with the Fairbanks Expedition Company in Fairbanks, Alaska, to earn enough money to marry. He wed his childhood sweetheart, Dora, on August 26, 1947. Glade took advantage of the GI Bill and in 1952 graduated from Utah State University in Logan, Utah with a degree in Civil Engineering.

His first job was with the Bureau of Public Roads in Johnson River, Alaska. He and Dora and their two small children lived in a 9x9 foot canvas tent. This was the beginning of their lifelong adventure. His assignments designing roads and bridges took the family to Washington, DC, Maine, New York, California, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Idaho, Virginia, and Montana.

After retiring as the Assistant Regional Engineer with the Forest Service in Montana he accepted a position with JECOR in Saudi Arabia to develop water systems for their date plantations as well as design the National Arabian Horse Center. In 1987 they were accepted into the Peace Corps in Malawi, Africa, where Glade designed and oversaw the construction of schools and hospital additions. After that assignment they accepted an opportunity with the Norwegian Refugee Council in Nkhata Bay, Malawi, Africa. They worked with refugees coming from Mozambique.

When they returned to Montana, they became official snow birds and retreated to Quartzsite, AZ for the next twenty-five winters enjoying lapidary, silver work and desert golf. He was an accomplished western artist and bronze sculptor.

Throughout their entire lives Glade and Dora camped, skied, fished, hunted, biked, boated, hiked, rode and showed horses. Glade loved to fly his Cessna into the Idaho wilderness and take his family on weekend campouts. He was a devoted husband and father who always wanted his family along for the adventure. He was happiest when his children and grandchildren were with him. He would captivate everyone as he played the harmonica either by campfire or in the sunroom.

He was truly a great man to those who knew him and larger than life to his family and friends. He was the hallmark of hard work, perseverance, confidence and generosity. He remained curious and was never bored!