by Hunter Dawkins
With numerous accolades and a well respected family name, the Pass Christian Historical Society began a new arrangement of discussing a famous family and business owner in the city: Dorothy Roberts.
Mrs. Roberts was interviewed by her legendary sister, Sally Ann Roberts, who just retired after anchoring WWL-TV News out of New Orleans for over 40 years. Her work as a city hall reporter earned her first place awards in journalistic excellence from the Press Club of New Orleans, the Louisiana Associated Press, the Radio and Television News Directors Association and the New Orleans chapter of Women in Communications. In 1998 Ms. Roberts was part of the reporting team that earned WWL-TV the coveted Edward R. Murrow Award for late-breaking news.
Dorothy’s history was symbolic in its own right, as a former 25 year social worker at South Mississippi Regional Center, a MS Department of Mental Health IDD Program where she served as director. After this career, ventured in to retail, owning a small business in Pass Christian, titled Robin’s Nest on Davis Avenue.
Both gave the historical background of their family, being a military family until their father, Air Force Col. Lawrence Roberts decided to move to South Mississippi and settling in Pass Christian.
One interesting caveat to their history was when their father, who was one of the Tuskegee airmen pilots, moved to the Keesler Air Force Base in 1969 five weeks before catastrophic Hurricane Camille. Col. Roberts served in the military for 32 years.
As far as music goes, both sisters spoke of a different taste with Dorothy expressing an appreciation of smooth jazz. Their common agreement on their mother, Lucimarian was about her great ability to bring people together.
