David Roberts

     BARNARDSVILLE - David Alan Roberts of Barnardsville, NC – Dave, to his friends, immediate family and colleagues, Alan, to his parents and siblings – left us unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident on July 13, 2023. Dave was an amazingly adventurous man, spending time with “a friend of mine” nearly every day. He leaves behind scores of lifelong friends and family members in each of the cities he lived – El Paso, TX, Loveland, CO, Chapel Hill, NC, and Barnardsville (Asheville), NC.

     Most cherished by Dave were his daughters, Dana and Jody, who he raised to love life and live as freely, embracing the moments, as he did. That scared him, just as he scared his parents, but he could not have been prouder of them and their lives.

     From the time he was a child, Dave loved to take apart anything and rebuild it. He turned this into his life profession by becoming a diesel mechanic, certified on every modern engine in production and focusing his career in later years on heavy farm equipment and farming communities. When not at work, he was almost always spending time helping “a friend of mine”. He would drop everything to lend help with a mechanical issue, to fire up the grill, or to simply just be there for you. Always just a phone call away to answer any question or brainstorm how to fix something. Dave knew everything. He had so many ways of SHOWING how much he cared. Never one to sit and watch a television, Dave had numerous hobbies – rehabilitating old cars, crashing old cars at the demolition derby, dirt track racing, river rafting, music concerts, off-roading, ironworking and artwork, furniture making, and always helping someone do something. He was skilled, inquisitive, resourceful, empathetic, and occasionally, opinionated. Dave was a wonderful father and friend. His presence will be dearly missed.

     Born October 1, 1963 in Norfolk, Virginia, Dave is preceded in death by his parents, Holly and Donna Roberts; and his grandson Arlo Kashmir Bell.  He is survived by his daughters, Dana Ann Roberts and Jody Rae Roberts; his step son, Elijah Wolfe Nugent; grandson, Elliott Alan Roberts; mother of his children, Jeanne Merritt and siblings, Karen Alice Averett (Larry, deceased), Marcia Lynn Arnold, Phyllis Annette Tupper, and Donald Gary Roberts (Claudia); plus seven nieces and nephews and their extended families; and his mountain mama Melissa Kruger.

     Dave’s family is planning a celebration of life memorial and will provide further information shortly. Dave was an avid outdoorsman. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Dave’s memory to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation (brpfoundation.org)