Laura ‘Tibbie’ Roberts; service Sunday

Laura “Tibbie” Roberts, 98, of Morehead City, died Saturday, May 25, 2013, at Harborview Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Morehead City.

Laura Eure Roberts was a lifelong Methodist, social activist and Democrat. Better known as Tibbie, she was born June 2, 1914, in Beaufort to the late N.F. and Grace Duncan Eure.

In every action, she took and each word she spoke, she exemplified what it means to live an intentional life. She instilled in us courage, confidence and curiosity. These core values enable us to face our future, despite the immeasurable loneliness each of us will feel. We hope we have been and will continue to be a source of pride for our mother. We also hope that the manner in which we conduct ourselves will reflect honorably on her name and the community that helped in our upbringing. Throughout her life, our mother reminded us daily to “Be Ye Doers of the Word” and to be our own perfect self.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, A.B. “Jack” Roberts Jr.; her grandsons, Michael Taylor and Cliff Mason; sons-in-law, Perry M. Taylor, Michael R. Willis and Michael L. Conner; three siblings, Grace Eure, Fletcher Eure and T.D. “Tommy” Eure; and two sisters-in-law that she considered sisters, Ruth Eure and Dot Roberts Ball.

Her family includes Beth Taylor of Morehead City, her daughter, Keely Wojtylak and husband Brad, their sons, Matthew and Korey of Wilmington; grandsons, Colby Taylor and Christopher Brown; Jacquie Millsap and her husband Ken of Kingston, Tenn., daughter Laura Hayes and husband Todd, their children Luke and Kalee, daughter, Melanie Cross and husband Bo, daughter Raelyn, all of Knoxville, Tenn.; Dianne Gagnon and her husband Don, their children, Jim West and wife Sarah and daughter, Heather of Phoenix, Ariz., Sean Conner and wife Jill of Two Harbors, Calif., and son, Ian of Honolulu, Hawaii, Susan Jones and husband Robert, their sons, Daniel, Micah, Andrew and granddaughter, Amyrose of Calabash, Donna Harrington and husband, Brian and daughter, Hannah of Morehead City; and Grace Mason and husband Glen of Morehead City, their sons, Trey Mason and wife Suzanne, children, Lilly, Banks and Cooper of Haymarket, Va., Jeremy Mason and wife Melissa of Morehead City; and the children of son, Cliff Mason, Morgan and Andrew of Atlantic Beach.

She is also survived by one sister, Dorothy and husband the Rev. Robert Poulk of Fayetteville; nieces, Mary Lynn Osteen, Faith Matthews, Patty Driggers, Anne Ball, Bobbi Roberts, Pam Stone; and nephews, Fletcher, Robert, Steve Poulk and Jack Roberts III.

A celebration of Tibbie’s life will be held on her birthday at First United Methodist Church in Morehead City at 3 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. Michael Frese, the Rev. Joseph Franklin and the Rev. Nancy Best officiating. A birthday reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. Interment will be private at the columbarium at First United Methodist Church.

Tibbie pursued causes related to the health, safety, education and welfare of children and women. She was an activist, pursuer of justice and equality. She fought hard for the rights of women and children. Working with the Congressman Walter Jones, she fought to continue the federal feeding program for Women, Infants and Children, the WIC program. She was a businesswoman, active in banking and real estate. Serving as a grade mother, board member and citizen, she worked to improve local education. Most of all, she was a faithful member of the church she loved, serving at the local, state, national and international levels.

There are some debts that are so enormous that they can never be repaid in full, even in a small measure. In honor of our mother, we ask that each of you pay it forward by making a donation to one of these causes closest to her heart; The Methodist Home for Children, c/o First United Methodist Church, 900 Arendell St., Morehead City, N.C. 28557; UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, N.Y., 10087; Carteret County Domestic Violence Program, P.O. Box 2279, Morehead City, N.C. 28557; or the Crystal Coast Hospice House, P.O. Box 483, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.

May the Lord bless her and keep her, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon her and give her peace.

Arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. of Morehead City. Access online obituary and Internet condolences through www.brooksfuneralhomeandcrematory.com.

(Paid obituary)