Rodney Ray Roberts

Rodney Ray Roberts of Shreveport, Louisiana passed away on March 7, 2026 at the age of 92. Born on June 27, 1933 in Big Spring, Texas to Mary Merrick and Glendon Roberts, Rodney grew up in Big Spring and graduated from Forsan High School. As a young man he embraced the Boy Scout oath that became a guiding principle throughout his life: “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country.”

He proudly served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War era as a Staff Sergeant and crew chief on the B-47 Stratojet with the 443rd Bombardment Squadron of the 320th Bombardment Wing, Strategic Air Command. After his military service, Rodney worked as plant manager at Cactus Paint in Big Spring for many years before founding and successfully operating his own oil field supply company, Robsco Supply Co., Inc. Deeply committed to his community, he served as president of the Optimist Club and later became a paramedic and volunteer fireman. That calling led him to train as a registered nurse, and he spent two decades providing compassionate care to fellow veterans, first at the VA Medical Center in Big Spring and then, after moving to Shreveport in 1997, as an oncology nurse at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center until his retirement in 2005.

Rodney was known for his wonderful sense of humor, quick wit, kindness, and compassion. He loved building things and working with his hands. On July 15, 1996, he married Gloria Vega, and together they shared 29 years of love, laughter, and adventures.

He is survived by his wife, Gloria Roberts; his children, Randall Ray Roberts and his wife Michelle of Cibolo, Texas, and Roni Raquel Roberts Burks and her husband Ryan of Bossier City, Louisiana; his grandson, Spencer Roberts and his wife Brittany of Big Spring, Texas; and his great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Norma Baker and her husband Robert Baker, and his first wife, Judy Beene.