David Alan Roberts

Dave Roberts: beloved brother, father, husband, and friend passed away on May 13, 2024, in Meridian, Idaho. He was 64. 

Dave was a man of excellence, having held high expectations of himself and others. He loved deeply, worked passionately, and strove to give back to his community. He was the father to four sons, whom he loved dearly, and in his personal writings stated that the happiest days of his life were the days his children were born. He did his best to lead by example, support their dreams, and provide opportunities. In recent years, he was proud to watch them mature into adulthood, forging their own paths. 

He was married for 25 years to his wife and best friend, Cathy. They especially enjoyed having adventures together: hiking the Grand Canyon, camping and backpacking, traveling, snorkeling, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.

Dave grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, the second of four brothers. Dave loved his family and was profoundly influenced by his parents and siblings. He found his love of cooking and providing nurturing meals by helping his mom prepare Sunday dinners. He learned to love nature and the scent of the pines on walks with his dad in the forest. He was taught to always do his best and would carry this value throughout his life both personally and professionally. His brothers, whom he respected their academic and sporting abilities, taught him to love friendly competition and the act of improving his skills. He spoke fondly of catching critters in the creek, the lilac bushes in the backyard, playing ball with the neighbors, riding his bike across town to go golfing or play tennis, and working at a local boat dock where he learned to water ski. Dave was active in sports, played trumpet in the band, was a member of Boy Scouts of America, and served as Master Councilor of the Poudre Valley DeMolay Chapter. Dave attended Colorado State University on a Masonic Scholarship, earning a degree in electrical engineering. 

Dave’s talents in engineering took him to many companies, including Texas Instruments, DSC Communications, AMD, Advanced Hardware Architectures, Sharp Microelectronics, Zilog, Micron, Natural Intelligence Semiconductors and SigmaSense. While at Texas Instruments he was part of the team that developed the first Gallium-Arsenide processer. He co-authored chapter 15 of the McGraw Hill VLSI Handbook, providing insight on the new technology and how to work with it. 

As a manager, Dave’s focus was to build a team that worked well together. He organized and encouraged opportunities for team building – including Halloween costume contests (winning with his Dilbert costume), softball teams, Hood to Coast Relay teams, Hawaiian shirt Fridays, and potlucks.  He was often asked to “save” projects and “get the job done.” Dave believed in working hard, and every company received his best work, regardless of his position or title. His dedication led him to being assigned to coordinate with partnering companies in Taiwan, Japan, India and Europe, taking meetings at all hours of the night or day, especially during project tape-outs. He loved the opportunity to work with others and enjoyed the times he was able to travel to meet his counterparts. 

Dave had an inquisitive mind and loved to learn. He was passionate about whatever grabbed his attention and always strove to be the best. It did not matter if it was a new sport, hobby, or a new technology at work, once engaged, Dave would research his new interest, find any appropriate tools he needed to learn, and would teach himself whatever he needed to know. 

Dave loved many sports: baseball, basketball, water skiing, snow skiing, racquetball, tennis, bowling, running, cycling, swimming and golf. He learned how to swim as an adult and completed a sprint triathlon to cap off his training. Dave loved to camp and spend time in nature with his family. Dave loved sports cars, especially his 1961 Corvette, which he restored after purchasing and proudly drove in parades while a member of the Lone Star Corvette Club. Dave had treasured memories of his dad’s coin and stamp collections and continued the hobbies himself.

In recent years, he was most passionate about woodworking. He started with jewelry boxes for loved ones, and then bought a laser engraver and lathe, took wood carving classes, and soon started to make his own designs for Christmas ornaments, yo-yo’s and spinning tops. He established his own small business, Knothead Woodcrafts, in 2021 and sold his work in a local gallery. He loved giving his creations to friends and family. Dave especially enjoyed his time with the Idaho Woodcarvers Guild, taking classes and creating lasting friendships. 

Dave’s dad was both a Mason and a Shriner. His education was due to a Masonic Scholarship. It was with great pride that he was able to join the Meridian Masonic Lodge and the El Korah Shrine. Dave was an active member in both organizations, always looking for opportunities to give back to the greater community. One of Dave’s greatest joys was in overseeing the Masonic Scholarship Program. As he said, the scholarship he received in his youth made him the man he was. 

Dave was an active scout leader, most recently with Troop 62 in Meridian, where he served as Assistant Scout Master, Rank Advancement Coordinator, and Merit Badge Counselor. Dave participated in every campout and summer camp and became a member of the Order of the Arrow with his son, Jake. He became infamous for writing corny camp songs and for always having a new Dad Joke to share. 

Dave is survived by his wife, Cathy; his sons: Chris (Amanda), Kyle, Nelson and Jake; his brothers: John, Jim and Paul; and his grandchildren, Charlie and Alice.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday July 27, from 1-4 pm, at the Meridian Masonic Lodge, 800 E. Second Street, Meridian, Idaho. 

The family suggests donations to the Meridian 47 Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 484 Meridian, Idaho 83680; the Shriner Hospitals; or your local Boy Scouts of America.