A Loving Farewell to Bill Roberts

The Cape St. George Light has lost one of its dearest friends. 

Bill Roberts, son and grandson of lighthouse keepers at Cape St. George, passed away unexpectedly on November 18 due to complications from a fall.

Verner and Bill Roberts at the Cape St. George Light.

Bill was many things to Cape St. George: a supporter when we were first thinking of rebuilding the light; a cheerleader when he and his wife Verner frequently came to check on the progress of the reconstruction; a storyteller who delighted in talking about his childhood days at the lighthouse to a spellbound audience including at times SGLA officers and staff Dennis, Elaine, Stanley,  Jim, Skip and Terry, and any visitors who were lucky enough to be around when he visited; a speaker who mesmerized the crowd at the ceremony for the laying of the first brick in the reconstruction; a benefactor who brought us many of the artifacts that are now part of the Roberts Family Collection at the Keeper’s House Museum; an author who wrote about “life at the light,” including rides in a goat cart and chores at the lighthouse, which is the basis for our favorite museum exhibit; and a lifetime member of the St. George Lighthouse Association.  

But most of all he was our friend, and we will miss him dearly. 

We last saw Bill in October, at the Florida Lighthouse Association meeting in Port St. Joe.  At the age of 88, he had driven himself to the meeting from his home in Mary Esther, and was excited to see all his lighthouse friends.  Bill spent the night in the area, and was uncharacteristically late arriving for the Sunday morning meeting, causing us much concern.  The Cape St. George team with museum designer Jerry Murphy were scheduled to make a presentation that morning, and planned to highlight Bill’s generous contributions to the Keeper’s House Museum.  Just as we finished singing his praises, he walked into the room.  Like many of us at the meeting, he had been tricked by the proximity to the time zone line and was an hour off.  He laughed and proceeded to donate two aprons which his mother had sewn on the Damascus sewing machine now housed in our museum. 

When the meeting was over, he was off to see Beverly at Cape San Blas, then on to Cape St. George for a fine visit and a conversation with Carol about the very successful sales of his book in our gift shop, before we sent him on his way so he wouldn’t be driving home after dark.

The memories go on and on.  We are so proud of the collection of family artifacts that he donated to the museum – tools used by his father, Walter A. Roberts, Jr. as keeper at Cape St. George, and items from their home life in the keeper’s house at the lighthouse.  We are proud that Bill saw his family honored in the little museum, and proud that he could be with us to meet visitors and sign books on opening day in August.

One last story.  One of the items that Bill donated was the rocking chair in which his Mother rocked him as a newborn baby when he was afflicted with whooping cough.  We recount this story on the exhibit label explaining the significance of the chair.  This summer a lady who was visiting the museum asked about the child with the whooping cough:   “I hope the little boy is OK,” she said, with great concern.  We assured her that at 88 years old, Bill had survived the whooping cough and was doing just fine, and that we were looking forward to his next visit.  Bill enjoyed this story, and we so regret that the ending must change. 

Bill, thank you for everything.  We will miss you very much.

Posted by Kemp Terry - 11/23/11, 12:50 PM

HAMs Broadcast Worldwide from Lighthouse

A special feature of the hugely successful Oyster Festival on St. George Island over Columbus Day weekend was the participation of amateur radio operators from Georgia who transmitted worldwide from the Cape St. George Light.

Control center in the Keeper's House.

An 11-member team from the Kennehoochee Amateur Radio Club near Atlanta held their second Lighthouse Expedition at the historic Cape St. George Lighthouse and made contact with over 2,000 HAM radio stations from all over the world.

The team tied a five-foot line to the lantern room railing, and attached a wire antenna connecting to a nearby high point.  The primary antenna supported multiple lines that accommodated additional antennas for round-the-clock radio operations.

An operations tent was set up on the lawn next to the lighthouse and visitors were able to view the activities, listen in on the broadcasts, and learn about HAM radio communications.  A 24-hour communications center was set up in the conference room of the Keeper’s House.

Kennehoochee team leader Ricky DeLuco said, “The purpose of this event was to promote public awareness of lighthouses and lightships, to publicize the contribution they and their keepers have made to maritime safety, to emphasize the need to preserve and restore light beacons as a historical necessity, to promote amateur radio, and to foster international goodwill.”

He said that thousands of HAM operators make a special hobby of “chasing lighthouses and islands.”  A website accessible to HAM operators included extensive historical information
on the Cape St. George Light, accessible under the event call sign of K4L.

Posted by Kemp Terry - 10/08/11, 12:45 PM

Lighthouse Museum and Gift Shop Open

The Lighthouse Museum and the Keeper's House Gift Shop are earning rave reviews from visitors after opening to the public on August 21, 2011.

The museum features displays on the need for a lighthouse on St. George Island, the history of the lighthouse and its tragic collapse, the lives of the keepers, and the reconstruction of the Cape St. George Light.

Pieces of the 1852 lighthouse are on display, as is the keeper's uniform worn by Florida Lighthouse Association President Stan Farnham.  A Time Line of the history of the lighthouse was researched by SGLA member Penny Angel and is dedicated to her memory.

The Keeper's House Gift Shop is filled with unique items commemorating the lighthouse and St. George Island.  Gift Shop Manager Carol Talley has created a distinctive boutique featuring the works of local artists as well as traditional lighthouse merchandise.

Handmade jewelry, baskets, and wine glasses are available, as well as a selection of books, prints, and children's items.

The Lighthouse Museum and the Keeper's House Gift Shop are located in the Lighthouse Keeper's House and are open during the same hours as the Cape St. George Light.

Posted by Kemp Terry - 08/21/11, 01:34 PM

Bill Roberts Honored at Museum Opening

Bill Roberts with SGLA officers Terry Kemp, Jim Kemp and Dennis Barnell.

The St. George Lighthouse Association honored benefactor Bill Roberts at the opening of the Lighthouse Museum on August 21.

Both Bill's father and grandfather, Walter A. Roberts Jr. and Sr., were Lighthouse Keepers at Cape St. George.  In honor of his family, Bill has generously donated to the museum a number of items used by the family when they lived at the light station.

Included in the Roberts Family Collection are the 1925 Damascus sewing machine belonging to Bill's mother, sister Betty's small rocking chair, a Perfection kerosene heater, a number of tools, and pins and medals earned by Keeper Roberts.

In recognition of his major contribution to the creation of the museum, SGLA officers presented Bill with a signed and numbered framed print of the Cape St. George Light by artist Sam Lyons.

We thank Bill and his family for their generous support of the Cape St. George Light.

Posted by Kemp Terry - 08/21/11, 12:12 PM