Ethan Fred Roberts' Obituary
Ethan F. Roberts was born Jan. 2, 1946 to Barney and Mollie Roberts (both deceased). He was 70 years old. Ethan died peacefully on October 14, 2016 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Ethan is survived by his wife Judith Anne (nee Meyer) and son Max (partner Tiffiny). He is also survived by his mother-in-law Hilda Kate Meyer. He is survived by brother Richard (wife Estelle), niece Melissa and nephew Hal.
Ethan’s major passion was teaching when he taught biology at a community college in Western Massachusetts and at a four year college in Brooklyn New York. He also taught biology at the State University of New York, in Purchase, New York. He began his career with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Montrose New York in 1980. In 1986 he was promoted and moved to Cleveland Ohio where he spent the next 28 years. He taught non-clinical employees. Ethan retired after 33-1/2 years of service in the federal government on January 2, 2014 which was his 68th birthday.
Ethan, Judith and Max joined Temple Israel on Lander Road in 1986. Ethan served as the vice president for religious practices for several years.
Max became a Bar Mitzvah on June 17, 1995. He wore the tallis that belonged to Ethan’s grandfather Max Katzowitz for the first portion of the service. Then before reciting his Haftorah portion, Max was presented with the tallis which he wove himself the prior summer. In 1995 Ethan and his family, including his father Barney Roberts and mother in law Hilda Kate Meyer, were featured in a special section on Bar/Bat Mitzvahs in the Cleveland Jewish News.
In September 2003, Ethan and Judith joined Temple Emanu El. Ethan became an usher and a regular attendee of the Saturday morning Torah Study group. He also participated in several Purim shows by writing song lyrics, narrating the show, and writing original scripts.
In addition to teaching, Ethan was an avid collector of comic books, original comic strip art, original comic book art as well as original illustrations. Ethan was featured in the Cleveland Jewish News on March 17, 2000 in an article entitled “Enduring Love Affair with Comic Books.” Over the course of 50 years of collecting, Ethan was able to identify the artist, penciller, and inker of original art. Ethan was once asked if he had to dispose of his entire collection was there one piece he would not part with. His ready answer was “The Prince Valiant panel that hangs over my side of the bed. My wife gave that to me as an engagement present in 1975.”
Ethan loved his immediate family and his brother Richard’s extended family. Ethan had a wide circle of acquaintances and good friends who he consider family. Ethan was buried in a private service in NY. The celebration of Ethan's life will take place on Sunday April 23rd, 2017. It will be held at Temple Emanu El at 2:30 PM.
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