Roberta Ellen (Orchard) Pater
Marriages
Robert "Bob" W. Rigg, Sr.
Hendrick "Hank" Pater - 1981
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7 B Obituary - October 27, 2016
Roberta Ellen Orchard Rigg Pater
February 4, 1932 - October 24, 2016
Roberta Ellen Orchard Rigg Pater, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, passed away peacefully early Monday morning in Salt Lake City, Utah.
She was born February 4, 1932, in Alamosa, Colorado, the only child of William Horace and Estelle Mortensen Orchard. Soon her family moved to Grand Junction, Colorado where she attended Grand Junction High School, graduating in 1950. Roberta was a gifted musician with a beautiful alto voice who was active in school choirs and competed in singing competitions. She played the piano and organ and was an accomplished soloist and accompanist. She loved to dance, ride horses, and travel with her parents. After high school, Roberta attended the University of Colorado in Boulder on an academic scholarship where she studied medical technology.
After two years in college she married Robert "Bob" W. Rigg, Sr., also from Grand Junction, and they moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where Bob attended veterinary school at Colorado State University. After the birth of their first son, Robert Rigg, Jr., the new family moved to Denver where Robert, Sr. enrolled in medical school at the University of Colorado. During their
medical school years, three more children were born, William
Orchard Rigg (deceased), Jill Colleen Rigg (Johnson), and
Jeffrey Paul Rigg.
Following medical school, the family moved to Detroit,
Michigan for an ophthalmology residency, where Julia Ann
Rigg (Splan) was born. Following residency, the couple settled
in their hometown of Grand Junction where Sarah Ruth Rigg
(Walton) was born.
The family prospered in western Colorado where they enjoyed
skiing, horseback riding in the high Rockies, hunting, fishing,
river rafting, and boating.
Several years later, Roberta moved to Salt Lake City, where
she completed her B.A. in Finance at the University of Utah.
She married Hendrick "Hank" Pater in 1981, and they worked
together in land development in the Salt Lake Valley. Roberta
and Hank loved to travel and they explored the world together.
They loved community theatre and the Utah Symphony and
were active in local cultural events.
As the result of a car accident in 1999, that took the life of
Hank, Roberta suffered significant injuries that slowed her
down, but she continued to travel and spend time with her
family.
Roberta was active in the LDS church and held many callings,
but mostly she loved to give service to others and was always
quick to lend a hand to those in need. She was most happy when surrounded by family members, especially during the holidays, when she decorated her home and cooked delicious meals for large groups of visiting family members and friends. She was extremely generous with her money and helped her children and grandchildren with college expenses, in part because of her zeal for education, but mostly because she was a giving and unselfish person who wanted only the best for her family.
Roberta will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She is
survived by her children, Robert, Jr., Los Angeles; Jill Johnson,
Park City; Jeffrey, Grand Junction; Julia Splan, Park City, and
Sarah Walton, San Diego. In addition, she is survived by 18
grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren, with more on the
way.
Funeral services will be held at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401
S. Highland Drive, at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, October 29,
2016. Viewings will be held at the same location on Friday
evening, October 28 from 6 - 8:00 p.m., and from 9:45 to 10:45
a.m. on Saturday prior to the service.
