Lucretia Irwin Roberts, “Tia”, 71, of New Harbor, passed away peacefully on Jan. 9 at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
She was born on March 9, 1944 in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Penn., and was the daughter of the late Robert Forsyth Irwin and Lucretia Fleitas Irwin. Tia attended The Springside School, from grade school through high school. She graduated in the Class of 1962 from Springside, as the recipient of the distinguished Caroline Susan Jones Pin given in honor of Springside’s headmistress by vote of the upper school classes and faculty to a senior student for courage, cheerfulness, fair-mindedness, good sportsmanship, for influence widely felt and courage of her convictions.
On Jan. 25, 1964, she married her high school beau, Charles M. Roberts and they started their lives together with their first home in Willow Grove, Penn. Tia was a great enthusiast for home and property restoration as she and the family moved several times for the next few decades into various areas located in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. In her younger days, one of her favorite residence experiences was living on an active 27-acre farm located on the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. After retirement, Tia moved on to the State of Maine as a full time resident in 1999, due to its natural beauty and artistic atmosphere.
One of Tia’s most evident life passions was her predisposition to creating things with her hands. She was a longtime knitting enthusiast, which she learned at an early age from her grandmother. Her other creative endeavors included painting with watercolors, sewing and making quilts.
Mrs. Roberts was predeceased by her parents.
Survivors include her husband, Charles M. Roberts; sons, C. Michael Roberts Jr. and wife Stephanie of Cape May Court House, N.J., and Nathaniel “Gunner” Roberts and wife Erica of Seaville, N.J.; daughters, Lucretia “Luie” Roberts of Middle River, Md., and Kathryn Roberts Andrews; grandsons, Scotty Andrews and Nathaniel F. Roberts; granddaughter Olivia Roberts; and brother, Nicholas R. Irwin and wife June, with their two children Chelsea and Reed.
A private memorial service for Mrs. Roberts will be held in the spring in southern New Jersey.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made in Tia’s name to the Woodmere Art Gallery, 9201 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118.
Condolences, and messages for the family, may be expressed by visiting www.StrongHancock.com.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta.
