Walter C. Roberts
July 3, 1933 ~ March 24, 2023
Walter C. Roberts, Sr., husband, father, grampy and retired Danvers police officer, 89, died peacefully on Friday, March 24, 2023. He was the loving husband of Marlene I. (Macaro) Roberts, with whom he shared fifty-two years of marriage, and the late Doris M. (Lord) Roberts, who predeceased him in 1968.
Born in Saugus on July 3, 1933, he was the son of the late Linwood E. and Clara L. (Smith) Roberts. He was a graduate of the Essex Agricultural School and served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. He later earned an associate degree from Northeastern University.
A Danvers resident since 1953, Walter served on the Danvers Police Department for thirty-two years, from his appointment in 1963 until his retirement in 1995. His pride and highlight of his career was serving the Town of Danvers alongside his son, Chuck, for twelve of those years. Prior to his career as a police officer, Walter put his skills as a master carpenter to good use, building his family home and then, during and after his career in law enforcement, devoted his spare time helping friends and family with many home projects.
In retirement, Walter and his wife enjoyed twenty-five years as snowbirds in Wellington, Florida. Making use of their green thumbs, he and Marlene gardened together and enjoyed traveling with friends, including memorable trips to England and Italy. Walter was an avid surfcaster at the beaches of Plum Island and had been a member of the Amity-Mosaic Lodge A.F. & A.M. in Danvers. A voracious reader, Walter always had a book in his hand and couldn’t get enough of American history and politics. New England to the core, Walter rarely missed a Red Sox or Patriots game but it was the athletic events of his grandsons, Andy and Jack, that he followed the closest. There wasn’t a fan that cheered louder than Grampy. Having married into a large Italian family, Walter made everyone feel special and marked each life event with a personalized poem that he would write and recite to commemorate the occasion.
In addition to his wife, Walter leaves two children, Chuck Roberts and his spouse Laurie Markarian and Linne Chronis and her husband Peter, two grandsons, Andrew and Jack Chronis, as well his late sister-in-law Priscilla Roberts, all of Danvers, Massachusetts. Numerous nieces and nephews were a big part of his life and among those he cherished.
Visiting hours are Thursday, March 30, 2023 from 5-7PM in C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers Square. Walter’s funeral service will be Friday, March 31, 2023 at 11AM in the funeral home. Burial will follow at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Danvers. Relatives and friends are invited. Donations in Walter’s memory may be made to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Danvers, MA 01923. To share an expression of sympathy with the Roberts family, please visit www.LyonsFuneral.com.
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Sincere condolences to Marlene and the entire Roberts/Maccaro family. Marlene and I have been friends since junior high school in Beverly, and our girls (Linda and Andrea) became acquainted at Salem Willows as youngsters. Because I moved to California in the ’60’s, we didn’t see each other too often, but at every visit, we picked up right where we left off. Our last visit happened 5 years ago when I came back for a class reunion and got to spend some precious time with them.
So many years ago, I was thrilled to hear Walter successfully pursued Marlene while she was working at a local bank, and they had a loving and supportive relationship for more than 50 years! Drawn to Florida by Walter’s love of fishing after he retired from the Police Department, they maintained two residences for perhaps half that time and had many friends in both locales–lots of friends to mourn Walter’s passing…
A good and gentle man, who is terribly missed! Rest in Peace, Walter, after a full life! And hugs especially to Marlene and Linda.
Sincerely, Peggy Renwick Tutone