More detail on this person: John Clifton
Roberson passed away at home on December 17,
2015 after a brief battle with cancer. John was
the eldest son of Frances Mann and Herman
Roberson, Sr. He is survived by one brother Robbie
Roberson and his wife Pat; two nieces, Kacey
Baxter and Kelli Degnan; and one aunt, Lyla
McMullen. John is also survived by numerous
cousins.
John was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on
August 26, 1944. Because his father was in the
military, John attended schools in Pensacola,
Florida; St. Simons Island, Georgia; Toms River,
New Jersey; and North Kingstown, RI. He graduated
from high school in 1962 in Annapolis, Maryland.
John was the first person in Annapolis High School
history to score a perfect score of 800 on the
math section of the SAT.
From 1962 through 1965 John attended the
University of Alabama where he majored in
aerospace engineering. His education was
interrupted by the Vietnam War. In 1965 John
served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years. He
was in Vietnam for 13 months where he flew
Sikorsky H-34 helicopters and had over 1600
accident free carrier landings. He fought in the
Battle of Khe Sanh, where he flew numerous
Medevac missions. His home base was Quang Tri
near the DMZ. Having flown over 721 missions in
thirteen months in Vietnam, John was awarded The
Distinguished Flying Cross.
When John returned to the states, he continued his
education and earned both a B.A. and a M.A. from
the University of Alabama. He taught history at
Georgia Southern and at Lander University (SC).
Then in 1991 John earned a PhD in History from the
University of South Carolina. Later, he opened the
Charleston Carriage Company. Because of his rich
background in the history of Charleston, John's
customers were in for a special treat when they
rode in his carriage. Eventually, John moved back
to New Hope, Alabama , where he sold books and
antiques.
John was a long standing member of the New Hope
Methodist Church. Because of his love of history,
John was thought of as the family historian and
photographer for the Mann family. He loved showing
old movies of family parties and took literally
thousands of photos at weddings and parties.
Visitation will be from 12 to 1 on Saturday,
December 19 at New Hope Funeral Hope. The
funeral will follow with Brother Mike Carpenter
and Clifton Mann officiating. Burial will be at
New Hope Cemetery. Donations may be made to
the New Hope Methodist Church Building
Fund.?http://www.nhfh.net
Information provided by New Hope Funeral Home
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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