Celebration of life planned for Robertsons
The community can join the Robertson family in celebrating the lives of Joe, Anita and Laura Robertson at Brock University.
Joe and Anita’s surviving children, Taylor and Clark, along with their extended family, are inviting the Niagara community to join them for a public celebration service to be held at Brock on Friday.
Joe, Anita and their daughter Laura died July 30 when the plane they were travelling in from their family cottage in the Pembroke area to Prince Edward Island, crashed in Greenville, Maine.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. inside the Ian Beddis Gymnasium. A service will follow in the same location at 2:30 p.m.
In a statement issued by Brock University, the Robertson family said while they knew Joe and Anita were dedicated members of the community, it’s only now they’re beginning to realize just how much of an impact they had on the region.
“It’s very heartwarming to see the response from the community following this tragedy,” Joe’s brother Andy Robertson said Friday. “We have been surprised to learn they touched so many in the community, and it’s clear that Brock was an important part of that community commitment. As a family, we are incredibly proud of our little brother, his teenage sweetheart and the lives they made together with their three beautiful kids.”
The Robertson family had a deep connection to Brock University. Joe spent a decade on the board of trustees and served as chair from 2012-14. Anita was a dedicated volunteer and Laura had recently been hired to work in the athletics and recreation department.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Catharines and District United Way, War Child or a favourite charity of choice. Memories, photos and condolences may be shared at morganfuneral.com.
The Robertsons are known for their philanthropic contributions to Niagara. In addition to leading campaigns with United Way of St. Catharines and District, they also made significant donations to a wide variety of causes, including Niagara Health and FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, where the Robertson Theatre is named in honour of their $500,000 gift. Joe Robertson was also a founding chair of the board of the Niagara Jazz Festival, from 2013 to 2015.