H. Douglas Roberts, MD

Until Parkinson’s Disease took over, Doug (or Dougie) Roberts had a wonderful life. His parents, Howard and Madge Roberts, helped him be a typical kid-soap box derby, Cub Scouts, paper route, then as a 13-year-old Sea Explorer Scout making weekend voyages to Catalina and even Santa Barbara learning about the sea.

Doug graduated from Long Beach Wilson High School, Long Beach State College, and the University of Louisville Medical School. Between High School and College, he served his two years in the US Army achieving an honorable discharge in 1961. While in college, he met Karen K. Werth at the church youth group. They married and she taught school to put him through med. school. They returned to California for Doug’s internship at Riverside County Hospital and residency in Surgery, then Anesthesia, at Sacramento Medical Center (which became U.C. Davis Medical School). He came to practice with Anesthesia Associates Medical Group at Goleta Valley Community Hospital for almost 40 years.

Doug’s 3 sons; Sam, Josh, and Adam, were very important to him so he was a scout and Indian Guide leader, a Little League coach, built them a cool swing set, and attended every church and school event.

Later Doug was thrilled to have grandsons, Elijah, Miller, and Jonah and Noah (who died at birth), and attended as many of their events as he could.

In his full life he became a private pilot and flew medical teams to Mexico for eye surgeries, was on several work teams to rebuild black burned-out churches with SBU Methodist Church and B’nai Brith Temple and rehabbed some homes on the Hopi Reservation with SB church men. He was active with the California Society of Anesthesiology and was its president in 2003-2004. He built his dream “cabin” in Pagosa Springs, CO and loved having family and friends there to ski and hike and enjoy the views. He had been a jogger, a biker (biked from SB to Capistrano and on trips in Northern Italy), and then a skier till his late 70s (especially at Wolf Creek near Pagosa), and a long storyteller forever.

He will be missed by Karen, Sam, Josh and Tracy, Adam and Theresa, his 3 grandsons, and his sister, Cheryl Vaillancourt (Jim), and her two daughters Jennifer Zinn (Bill) and Heather Vaillancourt, Sister-in-law Barbara McNair and her Deborah Wheeler (Brannon) and Dan/Red Carter (Justin); his brother-in-law Bill Werth and wife, Cheryl, and their Amber Bonilla (Rodney) and Ryan Werth.

We appreciate the wonderful care for Doug by Carmelo, Daniel, Pablo, and Hospice nurses and Drs. Fearer and Aijian, and Pastor Ann Conklin.

There will be a gathering in his memory at First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave. on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 3:00. Doug would be happy for you to wear Aloha attire.

Donations in memory of Doug could be to First Presbyterian Church of SB or Direct Relief.