Eleda Roberts

Eleda B. Roberts, 12-year resident of Arroyo Seco (Taos), N.M., world traveler, sports woman, and practitioner of two distinct business careers, died of a stroke on February 11 at UNM Medical Center following a two-year battle with Leukemia. She was 78.

Known as “Lee”, she was brought up in New Hartford, N.Y. and graduated with honors from Syracuse University.  Shortly thereafter, she married Charles “Chuck” Roberts who had a distinguished career in advertising including ten years at General Electric and 25 years running advertising/PR agencies in Orange County, California.

While living in the Phoenix area, Lee earned a master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology at Arizona State University. She used that knowledge to help brain-injured adults live a better life and taught sign language at Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix.

When opportunities took them to California, Lee changed careers and earned a paralegal degree from U.C. Irvine. Rather than operate inside a law firm, she helped pioneer a new world of litigation support software and taught both lawyers and judges techniques that made British and American courts operate more efficiently.

At the turn of the century, the Robertses left their normal business careers and moved to Europe. They purchased a German wohnmobile (RV) Lee named Wolfie that became their home from 2003-2008 while traveling and living in some 30 European countries. Winters were spent typically living and skiing in Kitzbuhel, Austria, and in the French and Italian Alps. Summers were spent exploring Europe.

Lee was also an accomplished equestrian having participated in many horse shows, organized hunts, and cattle round ups in addition to riding adventures in Iceland, Ireland, France and Portugal. More recently she was able to cross New Zealand, Antarctica, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Turkey off her traveling bucket list.

The Robertses returned to the U.S. in 2009 and settled in the Taos, N.M. area where Lee continued with her volunteer activities while exploring much of the western U. S.

Lee is survived by her husband Chuck, their daughter Heidi, son-in-law John Betz, grandson Andreas Betz, all of Venice, Calif., plus sister-in-law Jo Marsh of Bothell, Wash., and numerous far-flung adoring nephews and nieces.

A special life celebration will be held for friends and family post-COVID at their home in Arroyo Seco, N.M.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home.  To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com