Roberta Pauline Lane Howard, 79 died on Saturday, May 10, 2008 at the Clarimont Nursing Home in Beaumont. Born March 9, 1929 in Oregon to Paul Lane and Audrey Thomas, her mother died when she was an infant. For the first nine years she was raised by her beloved grandfather, a seaman; because of him she had a lifelong love of ships.
She attended Bingham Art School in Portland for a year and was a serious ballet student. She joined the United States Army Corps and became a language translator, fluent in German, French, and Russian. While in the Army, she lived in England, was presented to Queen Elizabeth, and traveled extensively in Europe. She was honorably discharged in 1954. She then came to Texas and acquired a B.S. degree in geology from the University of Texas in El Paso in 1960. She lived for a time in Houston, and then came to Beaumont after accepting a job from DuPont as their research librarian. She retired from DuPont in the late 1980’s.
Friends of Roberta will always remember her sense of humor and the wonderful stories she told. Many neighbors in South Park called her “the Cat Lady” because of the many stray cats she rescued, fed, and cared for. She was an active volunteer at the South Park police sub-station and at Lamar’s KVLU radio station, animal rights groups including Life Force and peace groups such as Greenpeace. She was generous to all people having difficulties to the point of sometimes worrying her friends by giving rides to strangers.
Roberta is survived by three half brothers, Paul Lane and his wife Fauziah of New Castle, Delaware, Sanford Lane and his wife Marilyn of Santa Rosa, California, and Jeffrey Lee Lane of Portland, Oregon; and one half sister, Twila Metler and her husband Jim of Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 7785 Weaver Drive, Beaumont followed by burial at Forest Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. A gathering of family and friends will be Wednesday morning from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, P O Box 1629, Beaumont, Texas 77704 or to Life Force, PMB 671, 148 S Dowlen Road, Beaumont, Texas 77706.
