Catherine Elizabeth “Cay” Hall Roberts
WAVERLY - Catherine Elizabeth “Cay” Hall Roberts passed away Thursday, February 9, 2023, at Bristol Village in Waverly, Ohio. Born September 16, 1941 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cay was the eldest child of the late William George Hall and Marjorie Clyde (Self) Hall. She attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. She was previously married to David Austin Horr and lived for many years in Portsmouth, Ohio, where they raised their two children. In 1990, she married the late Richard Tait “Dick” Roberts.
A lifelong learner and educator, Cay earned her Master’s degree in 1972 and her PHD in English Literature in 1981 from Ohio University. She was a faculty member of Ohio University for 27 years and taught technical writing and other English classes in undergraduate and corporate settings. During that time, her career ascent progressed into higher education administration. In 1987, Cay joined the newly founded Shawnee State University as the Special Assistant for Accreditation and Institutional Assessment, guiding the university to baccalaureate accreditation by the Ohio Board of Regents. She became the Assistant to the Provost in 1988 and in 1989, served as the university’s Interim President - one of the first female leaders of a public university in Ohio. She spent her final three years at SSU as the Assistant to the President, helping the young university grow and establish itself.
After retiring, Cay travelled extensively with her husband, Dick. They were ardent Rvers, visiting family and friends while camping and canoeing in many parts of the United States and Canada. They also volunteered as campground hosts at nine different U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges. From 1990-2000, they hosted more than twenty Rotary Youth Exchange students from many countries as well as volunteered to work with Rotary International in Hungary and Thailand.
Cay was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Waverly and was active in the choir in addition to playing handbells and the recorder. She also was a member of the Bristol Village recorder group and volunteered many hours in the Village library. An avid birder, Cay participated in Cornell University’s Project Feederwatch for over a decade and routinely took part in annual backyard bird counts. She was a true dog lover too and thoroughly enjoyed numerous canine companions throughout her life.
Cay is survived by her brother, George Adams Hall (Susie) of Avon, Connecticut, her daughter, Sarah Marjorie O’neil (Dave) of Warwick, Rhode Island, and her son, Russell David Horr (Kathleen) of Anacortes, Washington. She is also survived by one stepson, Richard Roberts (Jo Marie) of El Cajon, California, one stepdaughter, Janet Mazzio (Carl - deceased) of Buffalo, New York, and her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Dick as well as two stepdaughters, Carol Mitchell and Susan Fuller. There will be a memorial service at the First Presbyterian Church of Waverly on May 6th with her ashes to be interred alongside her husband, Dick, at the National Cemetery at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
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