Obituary of Roberta Steeves

Roberta A. Steeves, a loving woman of family, faith, and nature, passed away peacefully the evening of Friday, October 14, 2016. Roberta was 83 years old. She was born in Cambridge on August 31, 1933. Her parents, Robert and Audrey Grant, were immigrants from St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. She spent her childhood years growing up in Arlington. A talented and gifted student, Roberta graduated as one of the top 10 students of the Arlington High School Class of 1951. For her academic achievements, she was a recipient of the Thompson Book Award. She met her prom date and lifelong high school sweetheart, Ronald Steeves, in her final year at Arlington High. They happily married only a few years later on May 7, 1955. After high school, Roberta earned her Associates Degree from Burdett College in Boston. She worked as a legal secretary in Boston and August, GA for eight years until the births of her daughters, Susan and Patricia, after which she chose the role of mother and homemaker. Throughout their childhoods, Roberta was very involved her daughters’ lives. She was their Camp Fire Leader, role model, and confidant. She offered bountiful support, encouragement and guidance to her girls. While most Massachusetts residents buy summer places on Cape Cod or the shores of Maine, Roberta and Ronald spent their summers at their cabin in Lakeside, Michigan so that they could bask together in the sun alongside their daughter and grandchildren from Chicago. Roberta loved and lived for the outdoors, nature, and wildlife. In her hometown, she was a long-term member of the local Burlington Garden Club. She enjoyed landscaping around her home and cultivating her blossoming flower gardens. Roberta’s passion for bird watching took her around the world. She and Ronald kept their “life lists” up-to-date as they caught sight of each new bird species along their travels. Determined to spot the most rare and elusive of species, birders Roberta and Ronald trekked all over New England first, before expanding their search to the far reaches of the Southwestern United States, Alaska, Canada, Costa Rica, and other exotic destinations. It was a love that they shared during the many years following their retirement. As zealous sports fans, Roberta and Ronald also shared the love of the Boston Bruins and Celtics, and were long time season ticket holders. A woman of sharp intellectual talents, Roberta relaxed at home solving Sudoku puzzles and championing Scrabble games with her encyclopedic vocabulary. Her passion for music regularly brought her to the piano bench, where she would spend many hours serenading her family. Holiday evenings with her grandchildren typically closed with a few rounds of Rack-O, Sorry, or other board games Roberta loved. As an active member of the Burlington Presbyterian Church, Roberta was proudly one of the original and longest members of the Bell Ringing Choir. She also served as a Deacon. She spent her life deepening and sharing her faith with the church’s community. Roberta was the loving wife of Ronald M. Steeves for 61 wonderful years. She was the loving mother of Susan Driscoll & her husband, Joseph, of Jacksonville, FL, and Patricia Steeves O’Neil of Chicago, IL. She was predeceased by her sister, Patricia Laverty. Roberta was the proud grandmother of Douglas Ronald & Kathleen Patricia Driscoll, and Jennifer Grant, Margaret Susan & Edward Ronald O’Neil. She was the aunt of Robert, Russell, & Randall Laverty, Robyn Jakubiec, John, Deborah & James Steeves, Dianna Fisher, Lois Shaffer, Esther Elliott, Karen Dainty and Cynthia Fox. A Memorial Service will be held at the Burlington Presbyterian Church, 335 Cambridge St., Burlington on Saturday November 5 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Roberta’s name may be made to the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Office of Philanthropy, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805 or www.philanthropy.lahey.org For directions obituary & online guestbook see www.BurlingtonPres.org or www.sullivanfuneralhome.net