Roberts Field

Ronnie Roberts. Parks and Recreation Department Collection,

Denton Municipal Archives.

Ronald "Ronnie" Burton Roberts (1934-2013)

Ronnie Roberts was born to Mildred Loraine Singleton Roberts and Elmer Loyd Roberts in Bridgeport, TX. He graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1951 and subsequently married Terry Morris in 1952. Together, they had four children, Beverly Donna, Diane, Byrle and Joe Roberts.

For 34 years Roberts worked at Moore Business Forms in Denton in various supervisory roles including Plant Manager while simultaneously working 16 years as a realtor with Jimmy Brown Realtor of Denton.

Roberts served as President of Denton Boys Baseball Inc. for 13 years, State Director of Texas Teenage Baseball where he won the TTAB Memorial Award for Outstanding State Tournament for boys 15-16 and Commissioner of the National Little League in 1972. In 24 years as a baseball coach he garnered a 258-80 record coaching teams such as the Univeristy State Bank team, North Texas Savings and Loan, Seven Up Bottling Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Howdy Doody Grocery in various leagues from Little League to the Connie Mack, Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial World Series leagues, winning several city and district championships.

Outside of baseball, Roberts spent 34 years as a football official in the Denton Chapter of Southwest Football Officials, an organization for which he also served as President and Vice-President. He was also on the Denton Parks Board for six years serving as Vice-Chair from 1983-1985. He was integral in promoting the bond election that resulted in the construction of the Senior Center and Denia and North Lakes Recreation Centers as well as tennis courts, baseball, soccer and football fields. In 2010 he was inducted into the Bridgeport High School Wall of Fame. 

Terry Roberts. Find a Grave, Courtesy Eastside Cemetery, Bridgeport, TX.

Terry Rosaline Roberts (1934-2021)

Terry Roberts was born in Marquez, TX to Mary Elizabeth Christian and Neyland Morris, raised in Austin, TX before moving to Bridgeport, TX where she graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1952. Like her husband, she received her real estate license from Hawes-Kaplan and spent 16 years in real estate before retiring in 2011. She was a member of the Greater Denton-Wise Counties Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. 

Roberts contributed her time to a number of civic activities, including volunteering with the Girl Scouts as a Troop Leader and Denton Boys Baseball as a scorekeeper. She was also active in the PTA and Home Room Mothers organizations. For 14 years she served as the Secretary-Treasurer of Denton Boys Baseball Inc., overseeing the organization of over 50 baseball teams. She served on the Steering Committee for the Parks Bond election that would build the Senior Center, Denia and North Lakes Recreation Centers and a number of ball fields and tennis courts.

Ronnie and Terry Roberts were remembered foundly by those that knew them. Former Denton Boys Baseball player Chris Wheeler said they "...were golden to the kids...they were always really nice and open to talk." Football officiating colleague, Gene Hartman, recalled that "they didn't have the luxury of having a garage to park their car in because it was full of baseballs, bats and mitts. That was their life, Ronnie and his wife. They were always together at the park. They were a pleasure to be around."

In August of 1978 the Parks Board and City Council approved naming the baseball field at Warren Mack Park after Ronnie and Terri Roberts for 17 years of service to the youth of Denton.

For a number of years North Texas State University, now University of North Texas, would contract with the City of Denton to use Roberts Field for their games.