James McRoberts passed away peacefully the morning of January 6, 2021 at the age of 62. He was born March 6, 1958 to Ardella and Lloyd McRoberts in Minneapolis, MN. James married Peggy (Walker) McRoberts on April 16, 1988 in Coon Rapids, MN. His parents and his brother, Lloyd McRoberts, each preceded him in death.
He was a loving Father, Husband, and Friend. Jim worked for the marketing department for 17 years at Iroquois Memorial Hospital in Watseka, IL. He organized media and coordinated major events including the Toddler Olympics, 100th Anniversary of the Hospital, and celebrated the 1000th baby born at IMH. He organized free snowcones, popcorn, and cotton candy for IMH residents, employees, and their families during the Fourth of July parade and coordinated the Easter Egg Hunt on the hospital front lawn. James was also an active member in the Iroquois Early Risers Toastmasters Organization as well as the Illinois Society for Healthcare Marketing and Public Relations (ISHMPR) and won an award for Best Speaker at one of their conferences.
James was a stay at home dad for three years while Anastasia and Quinn were young. He taught them how to read and write and prepared them for preschool and kindergarten. One day Peggy came home to hot wheels cars racing down 75 feet of track from the upstairs hallway, down 17 steps and two curves, through the back entry into an empty popcorn tin. Him and Peggy hosted a Halloween party for the kids one year that included a Halloween parade downtown and through the resident home in Sheldon. When he and Peggy were preparing to redo the kitchen floors, they invited all the kids in the neighborhood to come over and draw on them. They received many phone calls with apologies when the kids came home and reported to their parents what they had done. Those calls were responded to with a reassuring explanation and a laugh. James and Quinn invested a lot of time into making Pinewood Derby cars while his son was in Boyscouts and was notorious for taking a clean sweep.
James aced his way through his college career. He was involved in the annual Civil War Reenactment and had his history professor declared a traitor one year. He was very proud of his family and often talked about them to everyone. He was known for his cheesy jokes, kind words, and loved playing card games. After his retirement, he invested in painting landscapes and cooking, and made his wife dinner every night when she came home from work. James enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, playing games with his family, and taking road trips across the states.
He is survived by his son, Quinn, a Senior Capital Accountant, his daughter, Anastasia, a Bioanalytical Scientist, and his wife, Peggy, an Occupational Therapist. He is also survived by his brother David Evanson and sister Laura Krugerud; his niece Amy Hannan, Leslie Olson, and nephew John Olson; and four great nieces and nephews.
Cremation Rites have been accorded. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Cremated remains will be scattered by firework display.
Please consider donating to Jim's gofundme page to help his family with medical expenses.
http://gofundme.com/f/james-mcroberts
