Elliott Richard Roberts, 98, of Eau Claire died on Thursday, October 9, 2008, at Fall Creek Valley Care Center in Fall Creek. He was first generation American born May 13. 1910, in Astoria, New York, the son of Elliott Hetherington Roberts and Bertha Evaline Elizabeth (Johnson) Roberts. His family was from England and Wales.\r\nIt was in Jackson Heights, NY where Elliott met his future bride, Lydia Byrne, on their first day of high school. They celebrated their 70th Anniversary in December of 2003.\r\nElliott attended New York University, was a "runner" on the NY Stock Exchange, and worked on a crew building the Manhattan subway system. In 1939 he worked in Evanston, Illinois for the Retail Credit Company. Then in 1942 his family moved back east, and Elliott joined the Hallmark Greeting Card Company, while living in Englewood and Tenafly, NJ. He retired in 1975. Elliott and Lydia moved to Altoona, WI, in 1999 to be near their daughter and son-in-law, Heather and Scott Kirby.\r\nAfter retiring, Elliott and Lydia worked together to organize a medical research project on epilepsy for a doctor who was writing a book on the subject. Elliott was also a volunteer for the FISH organization. He and Lydia treasured their trips abroad and opened their home to university students from Italy.\r\nElliott had a wonderful, droll sense of humor and was a marvelous story teller willing to share so much of his long life experiences with people. He enjoyed golf and was a passionate reader, reading everything from Ancient Scholars to Harry Potter. However, his great love, beside his family, was the sea and boating. Sitting on the porch of the tiny cottage in Rhode Island, looking out across the ocean, with the sound of the waves and the feel of the wind and Block Island in the distance, he would smile and you knew he was truly content.\r\nElliott is survived by his daughter, Heather (Rev. Scott) Kirby of Eau Claire; two grandchildren, Cheryl (Dr. Michael) Kirby-Stokes of Morgantown, KY and Robert (Ronda) Kirby of Bennington, KS; and three great grandchildren, Brandon, Austin and Jessica Kirby all of Bennington, KS.\r\nHe is preceded in death by his wife Lydia in 2004; and his parents.\r\nMemorial services will be held at a future date in Rhode Island. Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral and Cremation Services assisted his family.\r\n \r\n

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