05/26/2026
Wayne D. Roberts was promoted to glory on May 16, 2026 at the age of 85.
He was preceded in death by his parents, M.C. “Clint” and F***y Mays Roberts, six sisters, Ida May Freeman, Lois Nugent, Hazel Tomes, Dora Winkle, Cora Wilson, and Ruby Smyth; and five brothers, Clayton Roberts, Lloyd Roberts, Donald Roberts, and Paul “Red” Roberts.
Wayne is survived by his wife, Susan; and daughters, Cynthia (Dan) Kime and Melinda (Rick) McClung; and five grandchildren, Maria Diaz (Sam), McKenna Bower (Bowman), Wayne McClung, Erika Kime and Lucy McClung.
Wayne began driving trains for the railroad before transitioning to his career with IBM in 1968. After 27 years with the company in Lexington, Greencastle Indiana, and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, he retired and moved back to his beloved homeland. Some of his post retirement jobs included Rupp Arena, Keeneland and The Red Mile. These “side jobs” in retirement were a source of joy, and came to a close sooner than he wanted due to his stroke at age 73.
Wayne will be remembered the most for his humor and ability to make everyone around him feel important and loved. His family teased that he must be “running for office”, as his nightly walks
were often delayed by his frequent stops to talk with neighbors along the way. He truly “didn’t know a stranger”. His grandchildren were a source of pride and joy for him, and a perfect target
for his teasing and silly jokes. He always showed up for their extracurricular events, if possible being the first one in line. He was known to burst into song (Christmas carols at any time of
year), and the cheesier the jokes…the better.
Besides his family and his faith in God, Wayne’s other love was UK basketball. He was known for mid-game phone calls to family members, with coaching ideas etc. Despite his family’s protests, he remained a Pitino fan. Other pastimes he enjoyed included sitting around a camp fire with old friends, playing Yahtzee (with an uncanny ability to roll Yahtzee), spoiling his beloved dogs, and listening to southern gospel music. He also had an annoying talent for guessing Christmas and Birthday presents which made it stressful to shop for him. Lastly, he was an amazing storyteller and loved to weave a good tale.
In his later years, he attended Best Friends in Nicholasville. The care and support given by the staff there made a noticeable difference in his life, as he struggled with vascular dementia.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made in honor of Wayne Roberts to the Best Friends Adult Day Center located at 5220 Grey Oak Lane, Nicholasville, KY 40356.
The visitation will be held at Nicholasville Methodist Church, 303 West Maple Street, Nicholasville, on Friday, May 29th from 2-4pm, with a Memorial Service to follow at 4:00 PM. To honor his passion for ALL things Kentucky, especially basketball, the family asks that you consider wearing UK blue.
