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VanS. Roberts III
VanS. Roberts Obituary
Van Roberts died peacefully at his home on January 10, 2026, in Olathe, Kansas. His wife of 59 years, Alice (Rettele) Roberts, was at his bedside.
Born September 11, 1942, in Leavenworth, Kansas, he graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1960. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1960 to 1963 as an electronics technician, third class (ETR3, E-4), aboard the USS Brister and the USS Koiner, stationed in Guam.
After his honorable discharge, he served as a firefighter with the Leavenworth Fire Department from 1964 to 1966. On November 19, 1966, he married Alice Rettele at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Lansing.
The family lived in Lawrence, Kansas, from 1977 to 2005, where they were active members of Corpus Christi Catholic Church. He worked for Xerox Corp. as a technical representative serving Lawrence, Topeka, and Leavenworth, and retired in 1998. He also coached Little League and Legion baseball in the Lawrence area during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
After retirement, Van and Alice lived at the Lake of the Ozarks before moving to Sun City West, Arizona, in 2015. They returned to Kansas in May 2025.
He is survived by his wife, Alice; four children, Kendra Jones (Greg) of Lawrence, Kansas, Scott Roberts of Lee's Summit, Missouri, whose wife, Debby, preceded him in death, Matthew Roberts (Shelley) of Paola, Kansas, and Brian Roberts (Andrea) of Paradise Valley, Arizona; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Van S. "Buddy" Roberts Jr. and Elsie "Sis" (Arnold) Roberts; two brothers; and several extended family members.
A full obituary is available at www.leintzfh.com/obituaries
The family thanks the staffs of Ascend Hospice, Crestone Senior Living Center, and Barrow Neurological Institute for their compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona. supportbarrow.org
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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