Margaret Pace Roberts

Margaret Pace Roberts, 90, of Wauchula, died Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Born December 14, 1923 to the late Walter and Bertha Pace, she was a lifelong resident of Wauchula. She was a 1941 graduate of Wauchula High School and served as Youth Director at the First Methodist Church in Dunedin until her marriage to Lawrence A. Roberts on December 3, 1955 at the First Methodist Church of Wauchula. The couple then made their home in Wauchula where they raised their two children. After their marriage, she became a volunteer staff member and Youth Director at her home church, Wauchula's First Methodist Church. She soon became very involved in the First Baptist Church of Wauchula, working in a variety of the church's ministries, especially the youth, for whom she had a deep passion. She was President of the local Cancer Society for two years and joined her husband in supporting other various community activities where she took an active role. In 1978, she joined him as a sales associate at Davis & Roberts Real Estate for the next 17 years. Her church affiliation remained foremost in her life as she shared her strong faith and a deep desire for others to know "her Jesus". In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Nell Booher; two brothers, James and Ruhl Pace; and two sisters-in-law, Ava Pace and Zoe Pace. She is survived by her loving family composed of Lawrence A. Roberts, her husband of 58 years; one daughter, Kim Roberts of Wauchula; one son, Larry Roberts of Atlanta, Georgia; one brother, Mark Pace of Dalton, Georgia; two sisters-in-law, Earlene Pace of Plant City and Thelma Pitts of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; nine nieces, Peggy Smith of Dalton, Georgia, Patsy Westfall of Birmingham, Alabama, Barbara Pace of Gainesville, Tracy Everett and husband Ron of Plant City, Debra Horvath of Chipley, Janet Hale of Lakeland, Stacey Rodriguez of Plant City, Susan Wolfe and husband Russell of Kodak, Tennessee, and Mary Pitts of Atlanta, Georgia; and many great-nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Wauchula, with the visitation at 10:00 a.m. Rev. Charles Granger and Mr. Marcus Shackelford will officiate. Interment will follow at Wauchula Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to First Baptist Church, 1570 W. Main St., Wauchula, FL 33873; Florida Baptist Children's Home, 1015 Sikes Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33815; or to Florida Hospital-Wauchula, 533 Carlton St., Wauchula, FL 33873.

Margaret Pace Roberts

December 14, 1923 - April 20, 2014