We are fundraising in memory of my Father, Gary Roberts, who passed away on May 16th after a long, hard-fought fight battle with cancer. This was a cause my dad was leading before he died. My dad, alongside his wife Debbie, brother Dan, and father David, served on the Franklin Fire Department in the 1970s & 80s. Historic preservation and passion for vehicles is something Gary shared with his father, David Roberts, his brother, Dan Roberts, and my brother, Ben Roberts.
The 1929 Mack Firetruck requires specialized restoration after many years as both active and auxiliary service. Gary was passionate about saving this part of Franklins history of almost 100 years and we want to do all we can to make it a reality!
Meet our dad:
Born in Petoskey, Michigan on August 19, 1957
Departed on May 16, 2026 and resided in Franklin, Michigan
Gary David Roberts was born in Petoskey, Michigan on August 19, 1957, to Dr. David and Jane Roberts. He graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School and went on to Lawrence Technological University and earned a degree in Architecture. In 1980 he married Debbie, his high school sweetheart, and together they raised two children, Ben and Tara.
On May 16, 2026, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer, Gary passed away surrounded by the people he loved most.
Those who knew him knew him to be genuine, authentic, and grounded in integrity. He had a quick sense of humor and a closet-romantic streak that Deb knew best-she has 46 years of notes, poems, world travel and beach vacations to prove it. He believed in volunteerism, in showing up before anyone asked, and in the quiet power of a good team. His favorite quote, from Thoreau, was the one he lived by: "Goodness is the only investment that never fails."
Family came first. Gary was a husband to Deb, father to Ben and Tara, grandfather to Sophie and Ryan, brother to Dan, father-in-law to Arthur, brother-in-law to Gina, Mark, Brad, Jessica, Doug and Tracey, and a beloved uncle to Joe, Brian, Jordan, Lance, and Zoe. He was also a devoted dog dad to Buddy, Murphy, Addie, and Harley. Gary and Deb loved gathering with friends and family for holidays and town events at their home and being a hub for community and friendship.
Professionally, Gary built a career as thoughtful as the places he helped shape. At Lawrence Tech he was already drawn to the bigger picture and reimagining communities when he was selected to present a class project to the Warren City Planning Commission. He began at DeMattia Group in Plymouth, MI in 1982, rising from technical, staff architecture roles to Executive Vice President for Development and, ultimately, President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2013, he founded G.D. Roberts, LLC, an architecture, planning, and real-estate consulting firm, extending his reach from his legacy Plymouth and Northville communities into Lake Orion and across Southeast Michigan. His portfolio ran from Habitat for Humanity projects, nature parks and residential loft conversions in Detroit's old Willys factory, to technology and industrial parks, a daycare center, and the Michigan International Technology Center development. Just a few months before his death, he broke ground on a major Northville development he had been working toward for years-proof of his belief that "developers are, by definition, optimists." He served as president of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks and the Association for Commercial Real Estate, and was a member of the American Institute of Architects. His guiding principles were simple: operate with integrity, invest in relationships, and never stop selling (always see opportunity). His most important lesson, learned and re-learned: Hire the right people, and empower them to do what they do.
Civic life was where Gary's love of community came fully alive. He served on the Franklin Historic District Commission and supported the Franklin Historical Society, where he helped relocate and repurpose the 1860s Kreger and led the renovation of the Franklin Library, modernizing the space while honoring every bit of its original charm. He was a Franklin volunteer firefighter who once helped revive a drowning victim alongside his father and Former Deputy Chief, Dr. David Roberts. He gave more than 40 years to the Boy Scouts of America, earning the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor a local council can bestow. He volunteered in his kids' schools, particularly the playground construction project, even designing the former sign with the slogan he believed in completely: "a community-built project."
Outside of work, Gary's passions were family, the outdoors, and anything that moved on two wheels or four. He hiked national parks, shot trap, restored old motorcycles and cars, buildings, and barns, and spent vacations the family cabin at Canada Creek Ranch or on the beach with Deb.
Those who knew him best knew of his steady presence, his kindness, and his honor and integrity. He had it all in spades. The world could not have asked for more.
Gary made a difference to so many-and he would have said that was the whole point.