Col. Lawrence E. Roberts
Was a Hero and a Gentleman

by Jane Hines

Larry Roberts

Full military honors were provided by the Keesler Air Force Base Honor Guard at funeral services for Col. Lawrence E. Roberts, USAF, Retired, in the Triangle Chapel of the Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, on October 15, 2004. Interment was in the Biloxi National Cemetery. All of that happened because Larry was a hero, a graduate of the 44K Class of the prestigious Tuskegee Airmen. Among the 19 service medals and awards received during his military career are the Legion of Merit with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the United States Air Force Commendation Medal and the Distinguished Service Order and Air Service Medal. His military service included numerous flying, technical and command assignments in the United States, Japan, Canada, Turkey and Vietnam.

Larry Roberts, the distinguished gentleman seen in the company of his wife Lucimarian, as she attended meetings of the Federal Reserve Board in New Orleans or the PCUSA Mission Initiative Task Force was also seen with his daughter, Robin, one of the big names on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America”. He was much more than an escort; he was their hero, too.

An elder at First Presbyterian Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Larry was always active in the denomination at every level. He represented the Synod of Living Waters on the General Assembly Council, PCUSA, and served as vice moderator. He was formerly a member and chairman of the council of the Presbytery of Mississippi.

Larry was always active in community organizations, particularly in educational endeavors, providing leadership in many good causes.

Newspapers on the Gulf Coast carried the news of his death and wrote editorials praising this man who was admired and respected by so many people whose lives he had touched. They used words like strength, responsibility, integrity and faith. They used all the words that describe a hero and a true gentleman. They noted the fact that he left a legacy that will live on for generations to come, through the lives of family and friends who were influenced by his vision, his courage and his beliefs.