'Renaissance man' with a dandy mustache: Friend fondly remembers Ken Roberts, 72
Bob Fink, who marveled at Ken Roberts' mustache the first time he saw it in 1977, called his longtime friend "very much a Renaissance person."
Someone who, when he later was in a wheelchair but able to attend church, would draw a crowd after the service.
"It seemed like half the people there would come up to him," Fink said. "He was a friend to everybody."
Kenneth Ray Roberts, 72, died March 16 at his home. He had battled illness for years but, Fink said, championed on even when he no longer could run, play handball or photograph Abilenians. That large group included customers at Roberts Studio downtown and those who went to nearby City Light Community Ministries for a meal.
His funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church, where he and his wife, Robin, were longtime and active members. The couple for more than 20 years were leaders of a class for 4-year-olds.
The general public first will remember the studio that was established in 1950 by his late father, Herbert Milton Roberts. Roberts was meticulous in his work due to his old-school training in black and white images. He enjoyed processing photos as much as he did photo sessions. He worked into the color photo era, then embraced digital in 2003, but still printed his own work.
But there was much more to Roberts, besides his trademark "western sheriff mustache," Fink said.
"There were so many things he loved," Fink said.
The retired Hardin-Simmons University English and creative writing professor could write about a book about his friend. Here are a few possible chapters:
The athlete
Fink first saw Roberts running at Rose Park and admired how effortlessly he did so.
They soon met in person, and one activity they began to share was handball.
"Ken, Don Eiland, Larry Robertson, Stan Chapman. Steve Cates and I were the core," Fink said.
They played first at the State Street YMCA, then at both Ys when the Redbud Park facility opened. They also played at the Family Life Center at First Baptist.
"We played hard," Fink said. But it "was mostly friendship.
"Ken was an incredible athlete. He was a great runner and seemed effortless at everything he did athletically. He would just glide along."
The only time he didn't, Fink recalled, was when Fink gave him the leash to their dog, who could run at a fast clip for a distance. The dog, Chelsea, took off with Roberts.
"She yanked him into the air and he was running full speed," Fink said. "He was laughing but he couldn't stop her."
When they reached a corner, before disappearing from sight, Roberts looked back at Fink with a what-did-you-just-get-me-into look.
"I think he trained with half the people in Abilene," Fink said. And at least one dog.
"He was part of that whole scene," Fink said.
Roberts competed in 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons and full marathons. At age 32, he ran his first marathon in Fort Worth in three hours, 17 minutes. He never had run more than 20 miles before going the full 26.2-mile course.
The guy didn't sweat
Fink said Roberts was such a cool guy that he did not perspire.
"We joked about that," Fink said.
When they went to Dallas for the George Lee Invitational Handball Tournament, Fink would take a eight or nine T-shirts, changing as each became soaked.
Roberts had one outfit.
"He'd be perfect the whole time," Fink said, laughing.
When others raced around the court to make a shot, Roberts positioned himself and was precise with his shots. He'd let the ball come to him. His tap shots at the front were unplayable by others.
While Fink eventually bowed out of the group, Roberts kept playing until his ailments mounted.
His friend was a sharp-dressed man off the court, too, Fink said.
"No matter where he was, he was dressed impeccably," Fink said. "Everything would be color coordinated."
Ride your bike to work day
Roberts enjoyed riding his bike. He would ride from his home in the Mall of Abilene area to the studio downtown many work days. That's 5-6 miles one-way.
The musician
Roberts, an Abilene High graduate and bad member, continued in music for years.
A lifelong Abilenian, Roberts did venture to Lubbock, where he played in the Texas Tech marching band.
He played the French horn in the Abilene Community Band, when it formed in 1976.
He played in the First Baptist orchestra. The Roberts' for 35 years attended Abilene Philharmonic concerts.
His friends joked with him that he really was a woodwind player because that is where the French horns most often were placed. Just one of the clarinets, they kidded.
"He'd just laugh," Fink said.
The photographer
"I always thought of his photographs as art and Roberts Studio as more of an art gallery," Fink said. "He'd position those beautiful paintings ... I say painting because they looked to me more like paintings than just a photograph."
Roberts was assisted by wife of 37 years in the business.
While helping with City Light, Roberts took photos of what today are called "clients."
"There still are six or seven collages on the wall there, and the names of those people," Fink said. He'd take photos for them if they needed one for Social Security or a passport, he said.
He also took photos for Upward basketball participants and worked with Eiland with teens involved the church's Big A Club. Boys from the neighborhood were invited to the Family Life Center for activities.
"He was just really active in helping people," Fink said.
Dealing with his decline in health
Fink called Roberts "incredibly courageous" for facing life in a wheelchair for many years after a life of being so active.
Through the years, when Fink had student or guest readings at HSU, Roberts often would attend. His friend enjoyed reading as well.
Roberts even came when in a wheelchair to hear Fink's advanced creative writing class.
"Robin brought him up and he was sitting there, right on the front row," Fink recalled.
Fink visited his friend at Wisteria Place and found Roberts engaged and enjoying the company of other residents. They did not dwell on the physical setbacks in their lives, he said.
"They were like best friends, sitting around and laughing. Somebody talking about their issues," he said.
Fink would wheel Roberts across the streets to Redbud, and the two would "run" the track.
"We didn't talk about the irony," Fink said.
"Even at the last ... Ken couldn't talk, but you could see his eyes and that he was taking in everything," Fink said.
Back to that mustache
When Fink first saw Roberts running in the park in 1977, he commented to his wife about the man with the mustache made for a much bigger man.
"Did you see that mustache? I remember vividly that was the first thing that stuck in my mind," Fink said. "I've never known Ken when he didn't have that.
"He never said anything about it," Fink said. "It was just Ken."
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 'Renaissance man' with a dandy mustache: Friend fondly recalls Roberts, 72
