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RIP MCpl (Ret'd) Dave "Robbie" Roberts

Kat Stevens

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Got this in my email from the sappernet today.  Very sad, Robbie was a good friend and a solid troop, you will be missed, brother.

From:
To:
Subject: Death of MCpl Roberts
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:53:46 -0700

Hey guys,

Some very sad and tragic news to pass on.  Some of you may have known/remember Dave.  He served in the Airborne Fd Sqn here in Edmonton and I believe he went to 2 CER/the SSF from here in '77. I last saw him at 1 CER in the late '90s.  Pls distribute to any/all who you think may be interested.

CHIMO! AIRBORNE!

Dan O'Keefe

Veteran dies in freak fire
Dalson Chen, Windsor Star

Published: Saturday, April 04, 2009
A memorial service will be held today for a former Windsor man whose long military career took him to major conflicts around the world -- only for his life to end in a freak fire accident in Alberta, says his older brother.
Master Cpl. David E. Roberts died at the age of 54 on March 9 on his property in a heavily wooded area near the small community of Smoky Lake, Alta.
Jim Roberts described his brother as "Grizzly Adams and Rambo all rolled into one" -- a man who enjoyed the outdoors and his solitude.

"I think it's a crying shame," Jim said of the accident.
Jim said fire officials told him David was apparently preparing to buy gasoline in town, and had put a gas can and his two dogs into the cab of his pickup truck. It's believed the dogs upset the gas can, and when David got into the vehicle with a lit cigarette, the fumes ignited.
The fire quickly spread to the nearby home. The flames were eventually spotted by someone on the highway. "It was in the middle of the afternoon," Jim said. "By the time anybody actually got to the scene, as I was told, there was no roof left on the house whatsoever."
Jim said David and both dogs died in the truck. Other than his pets, David lived alone. Jim said his brother's remains were burnt so completely that dental records were needed to confirm the identity. "It was as bad as it gets."
Jim said his brother's 27 years of service with the Canadian Forces were mostly spent in the now disbanded Airborne Regiment. Jim said David's overseas tours included Cyprus, Qatar during the first Gulf War, Bosnia and finally Somalia.
David's last post was with a Combat Engineer regiment out of CFB Edmonton. He left the military about eight years ago. "He'd seen a lot of stuff. You could see it in his eyes," Jim said.
David never married and had no children. "Never even had a girlfriend that anybody knew about," Jim said.
But Jim added that David loved his dogs -- Sheba and Taz, two mixed sheepdogs from the same litter. Jim said that David brought the dogs with him the last time he visited Windsor, about two years ago.
"These were not what you and I would refer to as suburban type dogs.... They had no concept of a sliding patio screen door, because they went clean through it," Jim recalled. "Everywhere he went, they went."
Born in Leamington, David Roberts was raised in South Windsor and attended Vincent Massey secondary school. He entered the military immediately after graduation.
Jim said his brother was planning to move back to Windsor after 35 years of living elsewhere. He said David had put the Smoky Lake property up for sale.
"He intended to come home. He actually had the place listed," Jim said. "He didn't make it."
VISITATION TODAY
Visitation for David E. Roberts will begin at 10 a.m. today at Windsor Chapel Funeral Home, 1700 Tecumseh Rd. E.
A memorial service organized by the Windsor Veterans Memorial Committee will follow at 11 a.m.
Online condolences can be posted at www.windsorchapel.com

 
I didn't know MCpl Roberts but a sad day for the Corps.

RIP MCpl Roberts.


CHIMO!
 
RIP Robbie, we had a few beers together a ton of laughs and tons of hard work but we always came away smiling! I still remember that time you yelled IRONFIST!!! and then passed out!!! we all broke down pi*&^%$ ourselves laughing!

RIP fellow Sapper......... huawwwwwwwwwww IRONFIST
 
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