Mr. Ronnie James Roberts, 81, of Kernersville, NC, passed away peacefully at his home on July 21, 2025, after a valiant battle with cancer.

Born in Winston-Salem, NC, he was adopted by the late Isaac and Bessie (Cooke) Roberts and grew up in Kernersville, where he met the love of his life, Bobbie Smith, and went on to build a happy family, a successful business, and lifelong friendships. Ronnie always had a smile for everyone, a genuine kindness, a remarkable work ethic, and a drive both to help others and to succeed. In his early teens, using a push mower, Ronnie mowed an average of 37 of his neighbors’ yards per week. Patriotic to his core, he joined the United States Navy at the young age of 17 and honorably served our country on the USS Independence and the USS Essex aircraft carriers.

On December 19, 1965, he married Bobbie Smith, and they had two lovely daughters, Ashley and Kristy. After starting out in sales and winning multiple awards while working for Cooper D. Cass and 3M, Ronnie turned his skills toward real estate in 1977, and with his partners, started developing land into beautiful residential neighborhoods, including Wellington Way, Kensington, Ashley Park, Kristen’s Gate, Park Place, and Bon Aire. A local newspaper reported in 1986 that Roberts-Pinnix Realty had revamped the housing market, making Kernersville a more attractive place to live. They went on to acquire a Century 21 franchise and held numerous golf tournaments locally to raise money for Easter Seals; Ronnie was recognized for his outstanding work on their behalf. In 1990, he was named the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Small Businessman of the Year; in 2001, he won Century 21’s top sales award, the Centurion, for residential sales.

Transitioning his experience to property management, along with residential and commercial real estate as part of Roberts Realty, Ronnie continued to be a pillar of the local community. Over the years, he sponsored various local softball, baseball, and soccer teams and hosted local blood drives for the American Red Cross. Always community-minded, Ronnie served on the Kernersville Planning Board; he also served as vice president of the Winston-Salem Regional Association of Realtors, as a director of the Southern Community Bank and Trust, and as a director of MLS, where he was consistently a top producer. He was also a member of Kernersville’s Chamber of Commerce, the Lion’s Club, and the Moravian Church. In 2024, Ronnie was proud to be chosen to go on one more mission with the Triad Honor Flight and celebrated as a veteran.

Ronnie built a remarkable community of close friends and colleagues who respected and cherished him; his friendly smile, genuine warmth and kindness, generosity and willingness to help will be missed by so many, especially his devoted Coffee Club and his beloved pets.

Ronnie is survived by his loving wife, Bobbie, his daughters Kristy Roberts and Ashley Rosenbluth, his son-in-law Adam Rosenbluth, MD, and his three grandchildren, Jake, Jeremy and Jessica, who all adored him.

Funeral services will take place at the Kernersville Moravian Church, 504 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC on Wednesday, August 6th at 2:00 pm. A celebration of Ronnie’s life will be held at the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden directly after the service, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions would be appreciated at one of the following organizations dear to Ronnie’s heart:  the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, the Kernersville Auto Museum, the Kernersville Moravian Church’s Graveyard Fund, or the Project No Kill Canine Rescue.

All are welcome to sign the guest book online at piercejeffersonfh.com