James Marvin Roberts

** Courtesy Obituary**

James Marvin Roberts, 79, passed away on January 16, 2022 at Norton Brownsboro Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky following an illness. He was born in Hyden, Kentucky in 1942. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Cheryl, along with siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Jim considered himself lucky to be part of the Sizemore clan from Leslie County and enjoyed an especially close relationship with extended family. He and Cheryl hosted the Sizemore family reunion for 20 years at their farm in Waddy where many stories, true and untrue, were passed on to the next generation.

Jim graduated from Leslie County High School, Class of 1960. Following graduation, he served five years of activity duty with the U.S. Navy before receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1965. During his time in the Navy, he performed navigational duties on a Polaris Submarine.

He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1969 with Bachelor of Arts degree and subsequently earned a Masters in Social Work degree from the University of Kentucky in 1972. He received his certification as a Social Worker in 1975.

He spent the majority of his career in public service and worked for Kentucky State Government for 22 years. Jim worked in a variety of leadership positions across the Commonwealth focusing on child welfare and aging, social insurance, and mental health services, including mental health and substance abuse programming. He began his career in social services as a case worker in Leslie County and retired from the position of Deputy Commissioner, Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services.

Jim’s favorite activities took place outdoors: gardening, fishing, training bird dogs and participating in field trials. He was a sports enthusiast and a life-long fan of University of Kentucky sports. He enjoyed traveling, learning about wine, listening to jazz, and visiting art exhibits.

Due to COVID concerns, the memorial service will be delayed until a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity at www.habitat.org or Doctors Without Borders at www.doctorswithoutborders.org

This is a courtesy obituary. You may send your condolences to the family @dwaynewalkerfuneralhome.com