Roberta Gober

Roberta Shirley Hash Gober, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed from this life on May 9, 2021, after a brief illness.  Roberta Shirley Hash was born on August 21, 1940, in Childress, Texas, to Robert Hash and Addie B Kelley Hash.  Roberta’s father was instrumental in developing her passion for music; as a young girl, she sang and played the piano.  In addition to her many musical activities, Roberta was an excellent student, and graduated Valedictorian of Childress High School Class of ’58.  She attended Abilene Christian College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education.

While attending Abilene Christian, Roberta and Lloyd met and the two were united in marriage on January 26, 1962.  This union blessed the couple with three children, Bobby “Bob,” Becca, and Barry.  For many years the family traveled and camped during the summers all over the United States.  On January 26, 2021, Lloyd and Roberta celebrated their 59th Wedding Anniversary. Their commitment to one another and to their children and grandchildren is an inspiration to all.  Like Roberta and Lloyd, all three children attended Abilene Christian University, where they too all met their spouses.

After graduating from college, Roberta and Lloyd moved to Austin, Texas where she was employed as an elementary music education teacher in the Austin Independent School District.  Later, Roberta taught for several years at Brentwood Christian School.  Roberta taught hundreds of children and many adults to play the piano.  She started teaching private lessons in Childress at the age of twelve and continued to teach piano for the next sixty-seven years, until 2020.  She served for many years on the board of the Texas Music Teachers Association.  She was named the Austin District Music Teachers Association’s Teacher of the Year in 1987, Texas Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year in 2000, edited the TMTA Journal for many years, and was an inductee of the TMTA Hall of Honor.  Perhaps her greatest musical legacy is the fact that she began a legacy of music educators when her daughter Becca became an elementary music teacher, and later her granddaughter Michal became a band director.

Roberta was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ.  When they moved to Austin in 1962, the Gobers attended Highland Village Church of Christ, where they headed the bus ministry and participated in mission trips in Utah and Wyoming, where Roberta taught singing and puppet ministry to elementary-aged children.  They later attended Westover Hills Church of Christ from 1982 until 2006, where “Coach and Mom” ran the VIP Program for kids in 3rd-5th grade. When they moved to the country near Lexington upon Lloyd’s retirement in 2006, they became members of the 140-year-old congregation of the McDade Church of Christ.

Roberta is survived by her devoted husband of fifty-nine years, Lloyd Gober of Lexington; children, Bob Gober of Georgetown, Laura Jones of Georgetown, Becca and her husband Kirk Garner of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Barry Gober and his wife Angela of Pflugerville; seven grandchildren, Nathan Gober of College Station and his fiancée Rachel Lewis, Michal Garner of Colorado Springs, Caleb Gober of Waco, Marcie Garner of Colorado Springs, Anna Gober of Stephenville, Abby Gober of Georgetown, and Mindy Garner of Colorado Springs; and many other in-laws, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

A private graveside service for the family will be held on Friday, May 14th at the Burns Cemetery.  Family and Friends are all invited for a visitation at the McDade Church of Christ, on Friday, May 14th from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the Roberta Gober Memorial Fund has been created to benefit the McDade Church of Christ Building Renewal Fund. https://gofund.me/a5cfbc91