Dr. James Andrew Roberts, 87, went to be with our Lord on Thursday, November 7, 2019. He was born in West Columbia, Texas on June 2, 1932. James served in the Air Force for 4 years from 1950-1954 before attending college. He graduated from Louisiana Tech with a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Physics. He received a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics from the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Roberts began his career at the University of North Texas (UNT) in 1967, receiving numerous recognition awards, including the 50 Year Service Award in the UNT Physics Department in 2017. While at UNT, James was a Professor of Physics who conducted research in microwave spectroscopy, served as the professor for several Masters and doctoral students, and published many papers in his field of expertise. He served as the Project Director for over 30 years for the University of North Texas Collaborative Group for the Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching. James served as an Elder for the Sanger Church of Christ in Sanger, Texas for over 30 years.
He is preceded in death by both his parents Frank Roberts and Jewel McWhorter Roberts. James is survived by his one and only loving wife of 64 years, Patricia, his children Kimberlea R. (Michael) De La Cruz from Houston, Judi R. (Brian) Frizzell from Lewisville, his grandchildren Christina F. Barrientos(Cesar) from Carrollton, and Laura De La Cruz(Joey Canicatti) from Houston, and his great grandchildren Jordan Foust, Lennox Barrientos, and Catalina Barrientos.
Visitation will be on Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Coker Funeral Home in Sanger, Texas. A Funeral Service will be held on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 2 PM at the Sanger Church of Christ in Sanger, Texas. Burial will follow at Bolivar Cemetery in Bolivar, Texas.