More detail on this person: ELMA,
WASHINGTON - Phillip Eugene Roberts, 80,
returned to be with his eternal companion, Muriel,
on June 8, 2013. Services will be held in the
Elma, WA chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, June
15, 2013. Graveside services will follow with full
military honors at 3:00 P.M. at Finley Sunset
Hills Memorial Park in Portland, Oregon.
Gene was born in Granby, Missouri on January 29,
1933. He was raised in Granby and the neighboring
town of Neosho. He was an Eagle Scout and the
drum major of his high school marching band. He
later attended school in Springfield, Missouri
where he met Muriel Kitching, who later became his
wife of 54 years. He married his girl on May 9,
1955 at Ellington Air Force Base. Gene received
his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the
United States Air Force on their wedding day.
Early in Gene's Air Force career, he was a
navigator and taught former World War II pilots
celestial navigation techniques. He then became a
pilot of fixed-wing aircraft before finally
becoming a helicopter pilot. In 1963, he flew
fixed-wing missions in and out of Vietnam from
Bangkok, Thailand. He then served in-country as a
helicopter pilot supporting transportation and
rescue missions; his deployment in Vietnam lasted
from 1965-1966. He retired as a Major in 1972
before settling down in Lafayette, LA in 1974.
Gene and Muriel continued raising their five
children in Lafayette.
In Louisiana, Gene began a civilian career flying
helicopters for Petroleum Helicopters Incorporated
from which he retired in 1999. Gene and Muriel
loved to travel. They lived in many places around
the world including Bangkok, Thailand, Woodbridge,
England, and China. In 2002, they served a mission
together as representatives of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Salt Lake City at
the church's family history center. In 2003, Gene
brought Muriel back to her home state of
Washington. They bought a home in the town of
Elma and continued to travel often.
Gene loved the military. Although he was proud of
his service, he was very humble and did not talk
much about his experiences and accomplishments.
More so than the military, he loved his family and
set a great example for his posterity. He was
known to be self-sufficient, independent and a
hard worker.
Gene is the son of Thomas a Roberts and Sylvia C.
Roberts, who preceded him in death. He is also
preceded in death by his eternal companion, Muriel
Kitching Roberts, his sister, Janice Henry, and
grandson, Justin McCartney.
Gene is survived by his sister, Sandie Price, as
well as two brothers, Tom and Frank. He is also
survived by his five children: Frances Meg Roberts
McCartney and her husband Danny of Prairieville,
LA, Dinah "Jo" Roberts of Sandy, UT, John Thomas
Roberts and his wife Heather of Portland, Oregon,
William Kitching Roberts and his wife Anna of
Hagerstown, MD, Elizabeth Roberts Mitchell and
her husband Brent of Frederick, MD, 19
grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and
numerous nieces and nephews.
Please visit and sign the online tribute to
Phillip@ www.whitesidefamilymortuaries.com
Arrangements are entrusted to Whiteside Family
Mortuary in Elma.
Published in the The Advertiser on June 15, 2013
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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