Principal Jason Sanders unveils a new plaque honoring William”Bill” Roberts.

Joy Roberts was emotional when she talked about her father, William “Bill” Roberts, the namesake of a K-8 school in northeast Denver.

She and her mother, Sandra Roberts-Taylor, flipped through the pages of a book that Joy worked on with a kindergarten teacher and students during the 2020-21 school year. It’s the story of her dad, including drawings and anecdotes, like his favorite snacks (moon pies, cookies, and ice cream).

It was Bill Roberts Day at the school, and his family was there to help honor the legacy of the man whose name is on the building. Bill Roberts died in 2005 at age 69 after a battle with cancer.

“He loved the city, and he loved Park Hill, and he just loved helping people in general. To see this school as is legacy is overwhelming,” Joy said as she and Sandra shared some quiet time to reflect before the all-school assembly in the nearby gym.

“He really was involved in everything. He was the one who spearheaded so many things. He had a very strong personality, he was a good person, and he was always looking out for other people,” Sandra said.

She fondly recalled a story when she and Bill were first married, and he was on the Denver City Council, not getting paid much. Bill found out about a friend whose child needed glasses, so he bought the glasses with the couple’s money.

Sandra said she told him, “We don’t have any money,” but he said he needed to help. “He was very generous, very gentle. He had a big heart,” she added.

The quiet of the lobby was soon left behind when the doors of the gym opened to loud cheers from the hundreds of students inside, many seated under a large “We Love Bill Roberts” sign. This was the first event of the school day and there was a lot of Friday morning energy as Principal Jason Sanders shared the importance of the day.

“We have been waiting for this day for quite a bit of time now, and it is a celebration for us, because we are introducing you all to a very important family. It is the family of our school’s namesake,” Sanders told the students and teachers. “It is important that our students and our community are connected closely to the Bill Roberts family and know what it takes to have an entire school named after somebody. That is a big deal.”

Sandra told the crowd about Bill’s life, his childhood in Georgia with seven siblings, and his later time in Denver.  “He was very active in his community, and he worked for the city of Denver. He never stopped dreaming, though he wanted the best for his family,” she said.

Sandra ended with a quote from one of Bill’s friends: “Bill was a man who never turned anyone away. He always looked for and found the good in all people.”

After Sandra and Joy were gifted with school swag, Sanders led them back to the quiet of the school lobby for the centerpiece of the day, the unveiling of a new plaque honoring Bill Roberts on a wall of the school flanked by students’ drawings of him.

Joy Roberts (left) and Sandra Roberts-Taylor stand by a plaque in the lobby of the school.

Sanders said he wants students to know Sandra and the rest of the family, and to regard them as “local celebrities. For us, it’s that big of a deal to really know and be connected to Bill Roberts legacy.” It’s also important for the community to know more about him.

Sandra Roberts-Taylor looks at book written about her late husband by a kindergarten class.

Bill Roberts served on the Denver City Council from 1971 to 1989. He later was deputy mayor under Mayor Federico Peña and director of public works. He also was a member of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce.

The school was founded the year after Bill Roberts’ death as a part of the Westerly Creek campus. The current facility opened in 2007.

Joy Roberts traveled from Los Angeles to be at the event. Her siblings Jada Roberts and William Roberts Jr. were not able to attend.