Roberta Louise Fields, 83, of New Meadows, passed away peacefully, after a long fight with Parkinson’s disease, on Saturday, January 28, 2023, surrounded by family.
Roberta was born in Cascade, Idaho on September 29, 1939, the last of six children, to Heber Charles Rich and Ione (Bowlden) Rich. Roberta and her family later moved to New Meadows, where she helped milk cows, pluck chickens and even trained a favorite calf to jump over a log. She entered first grade at Beaumont School in New Meadows and graduated high school as co-salutatorian in 1957. Roberta enjoyed school, she loved choir, band, sports, dances, plays, senior sneak and anything involved with planning and seeing an event completed. Girls were not allowed by Idaho rules, to play in sanctioned sports as they were deemed as being too emotional. The only sport allowed was baseball. To her surprise, she pitched a no hitter game.
From 1953 to 1955, Roberta was employed by Gem State Telephone Company in New Meadows as a telephone operator. She also worked at Valley Mercantile Store during the summer. In 1955 her parents purchased the Best Hotel which became her home for the last two years of her high school. She worked at the hotel/motel as a maid and receptionist.
Roberta dated John Fields during her high school years, and they were married June 30,1957. John and Roberta celebrated their 65th anniversary in June of 2022. Two weeks after they were married, John received his draft notice from the U. S. Army and left for boot camp on July 16, 1957. He returned to New Meadows in September and the two of them headed to North Carolina for John’s paratrooper training at Fort Bragg. While adjusting to a large city, Roberta found work writing clothing contracts for a clothing store and after moving two months later to Fort Campbell, KY she worked for Freidman Dry Cleaning Company. John was discharged in 1959 and they returned home to New Meadows.
They had three daughters, Audrey, Dena, and Loreesa. As Roberta would say “I kept the home fires burning” while John was logging, often staying in logging camps. The family enjoyed attending logging shows, water skiing on Payette Lake, snow skiing, and participating in 4-H Club activities.
Roberta was very active in the Meadows Valley community. For over twenty years, every summer, she touched the lives of hundreds of kids from nearby towns, who came to Zim’s Hot Springs for swimming lessons. Her community involvement efforts included being the Charter President of the Meadows Valley Booster Club and supporting the Red Cross, Cancer Society, Heart Association, Ambulance Service, City Park Improvement, Historical Society, Payette Lakes Ski Club, an annual Labor Day barbecue and logging show, and both the Council Community and McCall Memorial Hospital Auxiliaries.
Her involvement in PTA began her career path. She served in every local capacity, which included organizing a state-wide conference held in McCall. She was active at the district and state level while serving as Legislative Chairman and in 1980, she was elected Idaho PTA President. Her outstanding PTA efforts were recognized by Governor John Evans who appointed her, in 1984 to the Idaho State Board of Education. After the five-year term, she was reappointed to a second term by Governor Cecil Andrus. Roberta was most proud of her time on the board and when she received an Honorary Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Education from Lewis-Clark State College, and other additional accolades from several Idaho colleges and educational entities. She received Outstanding Service award from Governor Cecil Andrus, the National Honorary Life Membership Award, National Life Merit Award, Quality of Life Award and in 1988 she was featured by the Idaho Statesman Newspaper as “Portrait of a Distinguished Citizen.”
Roberta worked part-time for the Meadows Valley School District for 18 years implementing a Career Education Program to assist in student preparation and planning for life after high school and was presented with a “Dedicated Service” award from the school district. Upon retirement, the high school student body honored her with the Alumni of the Year and an Appreciation Award from the Student Council.
In her retirement years, she organized the committee to build a 45th Parallel Information Center located on Highway 95 north of New Meadows and was active in the development of the Fosdick Benefit Golf Tournament helping organize the tournament for over thirty-one years. The event raised over half a million dollars which was awarded to various non-profit organizations in Meadows Valley. As a part of the Fosdick, Roberta was instrumental in developing the student scholarship program awarded annually to high school and college students. In 2016, Roberta and John were honored with the Fosdick/Simonson Recognition Award for exceptional achievements and contributions to Meadows Valley.
Roberta is survived by her husband John, sister Joanne Adair, brother Wayne Rich, her three daughters, Audrey Karpe, Dena Pengilly (Pete), and Loreesa Freeman (JR), and five grandchildren, John Karpe, Joe and Margo Pengilly, Trey and Garrett Freeman.
Roberta will be greatly missed by her loving family and friends. The family wants to thank and recognize her caretakers for the wonderful care and compassion Roberta received these last several years, while in her home and, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Boise.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Meadows Valley for Roberta in June when the weather warms up. Donations in her honor can be made to the Fosdick Benefit Golf Tournament (Attn. Angie Mettie, Treasurer P.O. Box 466 New Meadows, ID 83654; 208-867-3574) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Condolences may be sent to John Fields 739 E. Parkcenter Blvd. Apt. 160 Boise, ID 83706.