ROBERTS WILLIAM R

2LT William "Duke" R. Roberts was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 04/14/2024 at the age of 80.1
Marshalltown, IA
Flight Class 69-20
Date of Birth 03/08/1944
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with 129 AHC in 69-70
Call sign in Vietnam COBRA
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More detail on this person: William R. (Bill) Roberts, 80, of LeGrand, IA passed away Sunday, April 14, 2024, at UnityPoint Health - Marshalltown Hospital. Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Marshalltown. Memorials may be directed to the Marshalltown Community Theater or the Marshalltown Public Library in Bill's name. Anderson Funeral Homes has been entrusted with the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com. Bill was born on March 8, 1944, to Bob and Ruth (Lamphere) Roberts in Marshalltown where he was raised with his younger sister. After graduating from high school, Bill went to Parson's College to study business administration. He volunteered for the Corp of Engineers and in 1969 he was sent to flight school. Shortly after he headed to Vietnam where he flew helicopter gunships. He described it as intense but fun and really loved it. When he returned to the US he worked in Maryland as an aide to two-star General Keneth Johnson. Bill said this was his favorite military job. He later moved to Kansas to work in the ROTC division at Fort Riley before being discharged in 1980 and returning to Iowa. Over the years Bill would invest a lot of his time in two main hobbies: acting/directing and scuba diving. He was in several plays in Marshalltown and directed his fair share. His love for scuba diving started when he vacationed on a cruise, and he has dived many places including Cozumel and the Bahamas. After moving to Marshalltown, Bill worked for Gildner's clothing store for several years. In more recent years, Bill held a few different positions within the Marshalltown schools. Most recently, he was a paraeducator at Marshalltown High School working for 6 years with a student with medical issues. Bill will be missed by his niece, Amanda Kubicek Madrid, his nephew, James Kubicek, and many great friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Rebecca R Kubicek, and his beloved dog, Griffen, who passed just two days after Bill.

Burial information: Rose Hill Memorial Gardens

This information was last updated 04/07/2025

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Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025