Carol Roberts Obituary

Carol Ann Roberts (nee Bryan) passed peacefully surrounded by family on March 9, 2025. Born March 13, 1941, just four days shy of St. Patrick's Day (a gap she deeply regretted), Carol was the embodiment of a good Irish Catholic woman. Despite the challenges of her life, she faced each day with humility, humor, warmth, and compassion. She loved her family above all, was deeply faithful, had a fervid sense of justice, a keenness for words and learning, and a particular fondness for all creatures great and small. She also loved a good party (and potatoes of any kind). She saw value and worth in the smallest of things.
Carol's love language was making things with her hands and giving them away to people she cared about. Whether it was crafting ceramics, crocheting or knitting afghans and baby hats, or quilting blankets, Carol was a talented maker. She passed this gift on to her grandchildren, nurturing their creativity.
Carol's early years were far from easy. Born to Albert Victorian and Lily Margaret (Skees) Bryan, she arrived into the world at home in Shively, Kentucky. Her brother, Stephen, died in infancy, and Carol and her older sister, Vicky, were separated from their parents at a young age. They spent difficult years at boarding school at Mt. Mercy before being reunited with their then-single mother. But despite the absence of nurturing and love in her childhood, Carol became a woman defined by her capacity to love and be loved, with a sharp wit, and an ever-willing helping hand.
As a teenager living in Louisville's Clarksdale neighborhood and attending duPont Manual High School, Carol caught the eye of the handsome and street-smart Hubert ("Junior," "Junie," "Huey") Roberts. When Carol was 16, she and Junior eloped to Clarksville, Indiana, the day before he left for Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island. Reunited after his basic training, they shared 67 years together, raising children, traveling and savoring one another's company. Rare was the day that Hubert didn't tell Carol she was a "beautiful woman."
Carol's greatest joy and most enduring legacy was raising her four children, affording them the love and care she never knew as a child. She was the quintessential mother – volunteering at their schools, leading their scout troops, serving them home-cooked meals, and setting expectations for behavior and personal responsibility. She was never happier than when she had her children at home – even better if their friends were there with them. She loved a snow day for having her kids as her captive audience, and the blizzard of 1978 brought day after day of consecutive games of Clue, Scrabble and Yahtzee accompanied by hot chocolate and cinnamon toast.
The thing Carol will be most remembered for was her devotion to her daughter, Jackie. A dogged advocate, Carol worked relentlessly on Jackie's behalf. One powerful example of this was Carol's successful fight to ensure Jackie and two other children became the first developmentally disabled individuals to receive their First Holy Communion at St. Gabriel Parish. From making sure Jackie had access to school supports and therapies, to enrolling her in Special Olympics every season, to identifying meaningful and engaging outlets for socializing and learning once she aged out of JCPS, to finding her a nurturing and supportive residential community (Pillar) as an adult, never was a mother more dedicated to ensuring that her child be given every opportunity to live a full and happy life. Carol's love for Jackie was pure and perfect and the truest model of selflessness. We would do well to follow her example.
Known as Granny to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Carol will be dearly and sorely missed. But she will be remembered every time we find joy in creating something new, read about the escapades of the next great female detective, enjoy a bowl of her famous macaroni salad, or get our butts kicked by Jackie at bowling.
Carol is survived by her husband, Hubert B. Roberts, Jr., her sons K. Michael (Juli), and Donald Joseph (Robyn) Roberts, her daughters Caroline Heine (Tim) and Jackie Roberts, and her six grandchildren: Lauren Allen (Matt), Jessica Ridley (Ryan), Evelyn Roberts, Megan Koeberlein (Eric), Sarah Boland Heine (Brian Doheny, Jr.) and Kiernan Heine (McCabe Galloway). Five great-grandchildren survive her: Hudson and Everly Allen, Riley and Lennon Koeberlein and Rosalyn Ridley. In addition, she is survived by her beloved sister, Vicky Rego, many nieces and nephews and a slew of cousins.
Visiting hours will occur on Friday, March 14th from 4-7 PM at Ratterman Brothers Funeral Home, in St. Matthews.
A Requiem Mass will take place at St. Josephs' Catholic Church in Butchertown on Saturday, March 15th at 11 AM.
To honor Carol's legacy of advocating for those who may not be able to effectively advocate for themselves, we kindly ask that in lieu of flowers you consider making a donation to Pillar at https://www.pillarsupport.org/donate.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carol, please visit our floral store.