Jimmy Roberts lives on in our hearts!!

Jimmy’s Celebration of Life Memorial Service

I was overshadowed by grief and dismay as I started to write this out for you this past week.

It all happened so fast, just like our marriage...but at least we had 3 months to plan a dream wedding. It all started with his sister’s dress and it evolved into a fairy tale wedding. I was petrified and running late because I was outside crying and running makeup all over that beautiful dress. Denny, his best man, told Jimmy “I bet if we open the doors we will see her running down the road”. No I just need a minute to come to terms with the reality that was getting ready to happen.

Jimmy knew my new commitment to Jesus Christ and I wasn’t going to marry him without that commitment from him as well.
I married Jimmy “ONE with GOD” and that was it! When we lit the Unity Candle, our souls bonded with our Father in heaven.

Was it all good...of course not, but our love for each other never wavered.

It wasn’t love at first sight for me though. I was a city girl who migrated to the country, and he was a country boy redneck who came into the Pit Stop to buy coffee in the morning and beer at night. After many between customer conversations, we got to know each other and I let him know I wasn’t interested in going out with anyone who drank or did any kind of partying. I was in sobriety which is why I had moved to the country. Anyway, he wasn’t my type...blonde hair and blues eyes...nope...nope!
My boys and I had moved into a little house off Rt. 33 and it desperately needed some work done to the floor joist. Jimmy offered to come and look at it and 3 months later he calls me. He wanted to come over that day, but I was not interested because I had a horrible morning. But he insisted!

The boys and I had been on the set of the 700 Club and had Communion on Good Friday during the show. When we got back home Saturday morning, I dropped the kids of at their Dads and was pulled over, my car was searched and I was made to feel like a criminal because I had been crying! It was really hard starting all over again and I was lonely and I cried out to God for a friend, a companion, but how was I suppose to know who He had for me. I saw a 1000 people every day! So I asked Him to send someone down my driveway and here comes Jimmy...NOT WHAT I ORDERED GOD!!!

When Jimmy got there I was a mess...he looked at the house and then decided he wanted to take me to dinner...ha...no way was I getting in the car with this guy! I was in no mood to be pawed over! But I finally relented and went. I sat on the door handle and as far away from him as I could during dinner. He was so kind and the perfect gentleman...I was like...he must not like me..what is wrong with me? But he invited himself over the next weekend to meet my kids and bring dinner. What!

His Momma did good, instilling good morals in him as a child.



I had seen him on and off at the store, and remember once riding down the road and thinking about him and got warm fuzzies, I was shocked, and dismissed it, because we seemed to be idol anyway.

Then one day he came to the store super early, when I was scheduled to do the paper work. I was having another bad day,
but again, he convinced me to go with him to work on his bosses boat. When he was done, we all took the boat out for a test ride. He and I were up on the flying bridge racing across the water and I looked over at it him and instantly knew, I was in love with this man. A simple non-complicated love that lasted for 19 years.

The man drove me crazy, we are polar opposites, but we never stopped loving each other even in the hardest of times. He was my knight in shining armor that swept me and my boys away and provided us with a home and security. It was tough but Jimmy loved Jesse, Matthew & Brandon.
He stuck with us no matter what!

His love for his family and anyone he called friend, was unconditional to the very end!


In 2010 Jimmy bought me my first camera and really pushed me to learn everything I could about the craft. He was an excellent chauffeur and would drive me anywhere I wanted to go or a place he knew about. One fall we went to Shenandoah 5 times in 6 weeks hunting fall colors. We had the pleasure of taking the grand kids a few times too...more fun with the grandkids...he would say! Great day did the man he loves all his grandkids!

After some time we were able to get another camera and he joined me out in the field so to speak. I had a partner to go explore different places and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together.
A couple of years ago we had the opportunity to go to the Everglades with his sister Beth and husband Carlos. We had a blast “gator hunting” with our cameras and photographing the Milky Way in the middle of the night, with Jimmy and Carlos making creepy noises to scare us...it worked too, especially when the last noise wasn’t them! Unfortunate their son, Cappy

I had already been a member of the Focus Group Camera Club for a few years and when Jimmy started taking pictures, he joined the group and was able to exhibit some of his work too! He had gotten very good and we were all very proud of him.

In the slide show you will see a couple of images of a young lady that Jimmy had taken. They are very impressive!! I had been hired to photograph her Senior Pictures and Jimmy was in the background doing his own thing, in between being a mobile light stand.

He was amazing at anything he set his mind to doing. He had more talent and knowledge then most people I know.

One of the saddest things about his passing, is the wisdom he will never be able to pass along to his grandchildren. He loved spending time with each one of them...especially Tyler, Anthony and Grayson, so he could teach them how to hunt, fish, work on cars and all the guy stuff.


Once the girls got a little older, he tried really hard to spend more time with them too. Of course he was going to make tomboys out of them if he could! Although it was becoming more and more obvious that Haleigh & Brynlee where girly girls, so I think he was going to teach them to beware of boys!

Jimmy’s daughter, Amanda & fiancé, AJ have a son, Zane, who is now just over a year old now. He started walking everywhere at our house about a week before Jimmy went into the hospital for the last time. That was a special moment for all of us.

Zane may grow up and not remember his Awpa, but his memory will live on in the lives of his siblings.
When Anthony was a baby he refused to call Jimmy “Grandpa” like Tyler. He said Awpa and no matter how hard we tried he said “he’s Awpa...not grandpa”...so there you have it....there is only
1 Tigger and only 1 Awpa!

I also want to think Bo, Denny, Dino and Bill for not only being great employers, but also for being our friend. And to all his co-workers through out the years. I can’t speak about anyone else before we got married...but I will thank you to!

Jimmy and I have made some great friends along the way, especially here at CVAG. I cannot thank my church family enough for all the love and support over the last 18 1/2 years. We have some of the best friends in Christ that will last a lifetime. I will be forever grateful to all of them, for their generous love, support, and continued friendship toward me. I also want to think everyone who has covered me on the Media Team, you are the best...

I am not sure what I am going to do without my “Mr. Fix It Man” or when I loose my glasses. I know I will eventually find a way to become independent again. I know it’s going to take some time, to get through some hard times and a helping hand to get a few projects completed. So I want to thank all of you in advance, for everything!

Just like Jimmy lived his life, surrounded by family and friends, he passed into the heavenly realms the same. With Amanda, AJ Pastor Bernie & Genia, Earl, his cousin and childhood friend, Steve and wife Carol at his side.
I was looking into his eyes when his spirit left his body...and I would not have had it no other way!
That man loved me and I wanted to be the one he was focusing on, so he would know how much I loved him back!

I will miss my Jimmy so very deeply, as will so many of you! We have all lost a great man!

However, I am at peace with him leaving this world.
Because I know, when he left here, he went into the arms of Jesus and is sitting with our Father God in Heaven. Where there is no sorrow and no more pain. I also know, I will see him again one day and what a glorious day it will be!

Jimmy fought a good fight and he finished the race, because he refused to loose his faith!




Saturday, March 2, Jimmy Roberts felt excruciating pain in his abdomen, he went to the ER, and learned that he has Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.   


His pain only started 2 weeks prior on February 16th. He thought he got food poisoning from the hospital where my brother was admitted after a serious motorcycle accident. Then he thought it might be constipation. After a week, I thought he had an ulcer, because it hurt worse when he ate and when he laid down in the bed at night. By Wednesday Feb 27th he had enough, and called the Dr to make an appointment for Friday. By then it was so bad, he had to make himself throw up so he could try to sleep, but the pain was growing worse by the minute.
The Dr diagnosed him with Pancreatitis. By Saturday morning....he was in the ER, where he was admitted for 5 days after they did a CT Scan and discovered that the cancer had already spread from his Pancreas. During this time they did a biopsy on his liver to confirm the findings of the CT.  This was alot to process, that in just a few short days. He went from being diagnosed with Pancreatitis, to finding out it wasn't Pancreatitis at all, it was actually Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.

Needless to say the whole family is devastated and completely unprepared.


We have already left one oncology team due to their lack of urgency and found a very competent Surgical Oncology team that specializes in this type of cancer.

When we met the VCU Surgical Oncologist on Thursday, he introduced himself, shook Jimmy's hand and said "I make things happen!" YES!! Just what God ordered! A Man on the move!
The VCU Oncology team admitted him on Thursday and completed a "Celiac Plexus Block" to relive the pain behind the stomach and pancreas by the end of the day. On Friday they did an endoscopy and removed and obstruction from the bile duct and put in a stent so the liver could function properly. He had turned the color of a Post-It note! Before he was discharged on Saturday morning they took him to have an MRI, so they can have a complete picture along with the CT Scans done by the other hospital. At this early date, we don’t know exactly how he will be treated since Pancreatic Cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat. 
Although after his appointment on Monday March 18th, There will be 4 different chemotherapy drugs given intravenously once a week every 2 weeks to start. This is a very aggressive approach to stop the cancer from spreading any more than it already has. He has a scheduled appointment for a chest CT on March 26th. At some point this week they will schedule a time to place a port  for the chemo infusions. 

I believe my husband will be healed, by the hand of God Himself and/or through the knowledge and medicine this Dr. and his team will provide!

For those of you who do not already know him, let me introduce Jimmy Roberts.
From the moment I met him 19 years ago, I found him to be a very devoted son, brother and father and then husband. He loves his daughter Amanda very much and when we got married my 3 boys where welcomed into his family as if we had always been together.
Jimmy has a very loving heart. He will stop whatever he is doing to help anyone in his family or a friend.  Whether they are sick, struggling, sad or in distress. Now it is our turn to do everything humanly possible to help him thru this treacherous battle.
The cancer itself is debilitating and the many treatments have only just begun. This has put him out of work indefinitely and put me into the position to have to choose between, being home to care for my husband, as he is in so much pain, it is a struggle for him to get a breath or eat without excruciating pain or take the chance of going to work only to rush back home due to a fall as Jimmy is becoming very weak.
In my eyes, there is no question of whether or not I will be there for Jimmy in this struggle! I am very determined and strong willed and committed to being a loving wife and caregiver for him. I will do whatever  is necessary to get thru this with Jimmy, in sickness and in health...remember!
One With God!
With all this being said, it is our turn to help him. We do have insurance, Praise God, but with the deductibles, co-pays and the % that the insurance doesn't pay, the medical bills have already started coming in and we're still only in the first month of this long battle and we refuse to give up!
Jimmy is ready to fight this and so are we!

Jimmy and I, will celebrate our 19th anniversary in July and are looking forward to many more years together with our 4 children and 7 grandchildren, Amanda (Tyler, Anthony, Haleigh, Maggie & Zane), Jesse, Matthew & Brandon (Grayson & Brynlee). Jimmy's IS "Awpa" to all the grandchildren. Bug, (Anthony) the second born to Amanda, started calling him "Awpa" and we tried really hard to get him to call Jimmy Grandpa, like Tyler...but no, Bug was not having anything to do with a grandpa...Jimmy was HIS "Awpa"! There is never a bad day for Jimmy when any of the grandchildren are around. He loves them more than life itself!

Jimmy has always been a hardworking man. I am extremely grateful for his employer, as they are keeping him on payroll and continuing our insurance. He and I have always been able to manage our own affairs without requiring much help. We have both worked all of our adult lives and maybe we splurge a little here and there and struggle from time to time...but God always came through. We have a tough battle ahead of us and the worry and stress of loosing everything we have worked so hard for is tearing Jimmy apart. He doesn't show it, but I know he worries about me too and all the responsibility that has taken over my life. Having his life decisions in my head is heart wrenching enough, without the thought of foreclosure on our home. We could handle loosing one of our vehicles, we only had one car for along time until Jimmy was involved in a head on collision with a logging truck. After that, Jimmy was able to put a nice down payment on his dream truck. Even though it is not as economical as my car, I would really hate to get rid of it at this time, as it would break his heart even more, but we will do whatever needs to be done so we can keep our home. He will need a place to recover through the chemo treatments.

Please consider a donation to help our increasing need to get through the coming months.  No donation is too small, even $5 will help rescue us as we navigate these fearsome waters. Prayers are coveted as well!       God's Got This!  "Nobody Fights Alone" Joshua 1:5    












Jeremiah 30:17
'For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the Lord!

Mark 10:27
Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

Proverbs 4:20-22
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their body.

Isaiah 55:11
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Jeremiah 1:12
Then the Lord said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it."

Nahum 1:9
Whatever you (satan, cancer, disease) devise against the Lord, He will make a complete end of it. Distress will not rise up twice.