A couple of times each year, the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums Alumni Association get together to rekindle friendships and perform on the instruments they learned to play as teenagers. Dennis Lee Roberts was a drummer with the Fifes and Drums corps in his younger years, during the first decade of its inception in the 1960s, and stayed an active part of the alumni for the rest of his life.
Mr. Roberts died peacefully July 25, 2014, at the age of 67.
He was born in Milwaukee, Wis., but felt Williamsburg was his true home. He remembered fondly his time with the Fifes and Drums, according to Blair Miller, the president of the Fifes and Drums Corps Alumni Association.
“He was one of the first folks who created the group that everyone would agree is a symbol of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He was very proud of that,” Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Miller always felt he could count on Mr. Roberts as an active member of the alumni for support and comments throughout the years on the activities and events the Fifes and Drums corps was a part of.
Mr. Roberts helped raise support and money for the corps as well as scholarships for the young men and women who were a part of the corps in later years.
Mr. Miller remembers talking with Mr. Roberts about the amazing accomplishments of the Fifes and Drums corps over the years, performing for kings and queens being one of them. Mr. Roberts had no idea when he first joined of just how far the Fifes and Drums corps would go and he enjoyed talking about the challenges and successes they’d experienced over the years.
“He was a highly respected individual,” Mr. Miller said.
Recently, Mr. Roberts had taken on a new public service in the form of moulage art, applying mock injuries for the purpose of training. He assisted emergency response teams and military personnel during drills behind the scenes by helping them pull together and focus on the victim in a very real scenario, according to Mr. Miller.
“He was assisting the military in putting on drills associated with weapons of mass destruction and shooting scenarios, the terrible things that occur in the U.S. that people need to be prepared for,” Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Roberts often spoke with Mr. Miller about his experiences with moulage art since Mr. Miller, as a former canine handler, went through similar training drills.
Mr. Miller felt it was important to have someone very good at their job in charge of the moulage part of these drills and said it was “absolutely a form of artistry.” He remembers his own experiences with people wearing moulage art giving him kicks of adrenaline and raised blood pressure, making the scenarios real. He got the impression that Mr. Roberts was very good at his job since he was constantly called upon to help out.
“He was influencing how well prepared our country is,” Mr. Miller said. “It was a side of him he took a great deal of pride in.”
He is survived by his wife, daughter, grandson, brother and nieces.
A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Williamsburg.
Please leave online condolences for the family in the comment section below. Cremation Society of VA is assisting the family.
To view the most recent listing of WYDaily obituaries, click here.
