Roberta Joan Dubé, 96

Roberta Joan Dubé, 96, of Hayden Lake, Idaho, joined our loving God on April 10, 2023, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Roberta was born March 7, 1927, in Oakland, Calif., to Aaron Wilson and Marjorie (Le May) Robb.

Roberta was raised in a loving, close family in San Francisco, Calif. Living near cousins and other relatives and being immersed in her church community made the big city into a small-town atmosphere as she grew up. She attended George Washington High School, San Francisco City College and graduated from UC Berkeley. She began her lifelong and much-loved teaching career teaching 51 kindergarteners in Oakland, Calif. She had a special gift for making the children she taught to see the best in themselves and was an expert educator that passed this gift on by mentoring and training dozens of new teachers.

She loved everything outdoors — camping, hiking, biking, tennis, sailing and swimming in the ocean. She was a music aficionado, an avid reader and a gifted writer. Most of all she loved traveling and dancing with her sweetheart, Arthur. She was an active and long-time member of St. Pius X Catholic Church and its ministries and of Cancer Community Charities.

Roberta was loved dearly by everyone that was blessed to be in her life. She was joyful and generous, incredibly hard-working, the life of a party and full of fun! Roberta made everyone she met feel important and a very valued and loved human being. She was and is loved, adored, and cherished by all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She had a love for them that was unconditional. Roberta was the most loyal and devoted mom and grandmother. In later years, she had many health challenges but continued to shine Christ’s light even brighter through her patience, humility and loving ways. She was a true overcomer.

Surviving her are her children: Greg Kemp, Deborah Forno, David (Maggie) Kemp and Kristen (Tony) Lopes; eight grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and her cousin, Ruth Ellen Andersen. Roberta was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Arthur Dube; son-in-law Jim Forno; and her first husband, Gavin (Philips) Kemp.

Roberta’s memorial mass will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, 2023, at St Pius X Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene followed by a graveside at St. Thomas Cemetery and a celebration of life at Le Peep Restaurant, both in Coeur d’Alene.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Idaho Talking Book Service:

To give online go to https://libraries.idaho.gov/donations/. Under Ways to Donate click on Single Donation, then: In ‘Name of Program’ write TBS or Talking Book Service. In ‘Please Make This a Tribute’ write Roberta Dube. In the ‘Please send Acknowledgement’ box enter your own address. To send a check click By Check and add a note with “Tribute for Roberta Dube for TBS.”

Memories of Roberta and messages of condolence may be shared with her family online at Yates Funeral Home at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.