Shirley S Roberts

Shirley Sherrene Aten Roberts, 90, of Amarillo, passed away on February 18, 2025.

Shirley was born and raised in Lelia Lake, Texas where she graduated High School.

As the only child born to Quinn and Louise Aten, Shirley grew up with many wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins and childhood classmates. Her life was full of family and friends. Shirley was known for making new friends very easily. Throughout her career as a secretary and bookkeeper at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and later at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Amarillo, Shirley’s co-workers became some of her very best friends, her “dear friends”, as she would refer to them. She retired from Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in 2002. Shirley loved sports and played basketball in high school. She was a big fan of the University of Arizona Wildcats basketball team. She took joy in watching her favorite team each season for many years. Shirley was very musical and enjoyed whistling and playing the piano. During her teen years, she would whistle gospel hymns in church for special events. Shirley was a Christian from childhood and shared her faith with whoever would listen. 

Shirley also enjoyed arts & crafts, scrapbooking, sewing, and hosting holiday meals for her family. Shirley’s love for her family sparked a keen interest in her family history & ancestry. During her retirement years, Shirley invested many late-night hours researching and organizing newspaper articles and photographs to produce several scrapbooks and photo albums of family members going back to the early 1700’s, which she lovingly gifted to her children. 

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents Quinn Lacy & Maggie Louise Batson Aten, her husband E. Scott Roberts, and her two step-sons Phil Roberts and Randy Roberts.

She is survived by her son Mark Lane and wife Olenka of Amarillo, son Gary Lane and wife B.J. of North Richland Hills, granddaughter McKenzie Roberts and husband Ben of Dallas, grandson Dr. Charles Saadeh and wife Dr. Brooke Mills Saadeh of Fort Worth, step-grandsons Jordan Roberts and Eric Roberts of Arizona, two great-grandsons Benjamin Fielding and Lane David Roberts of Dallas and two great-granddaughters Lina and Yara Saadeh of Fort Worth.

Shirley left behind a beautiful tapestry of lifelong friendships in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. 

Shirley’s vibrant and loving heart touched people wherever she met them whether at work, in church, at the grocery store or even sharing a ride on the elevator. She truly was a ‘people person’. Shirley will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by many friends and loved ones.