Roberta L. Ulm

"...A person never really dies while there are those on earth who love her. A person is never gone as long as there are those who remember her with fondness and as long as her memory evokes a wistful smile. All who have loved and who have been loved have earned a piece of immortality. No sad tears for me, please. God Bless!"

A celebration of her life was held 10:30 AM, Friday, July 22, 2005 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield, Iowa. Rev. Dave Peterson will officiate.

FAMILY VISITATION PRECEDED THE SERVICE FROM 9:30 AM TO 10:30 AM.

Cards and memorials to Hospice of the Valley or the American Cancer Society may be sent c/o:
4644 Canterbury Court
Iowa City, Iowa 52246

Roberta Ulm, 68, passed away June 18, 2005, at her Scottsdale, AZ home after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in November of 2003. Bert chose to be cremated.

Roberta was born April 1, 1937 in Brighton, Iowa and lived in Fairfield, Iowa, raising two children, Doug and Shelly. She ran the family restaurant and moved on to the Chamber of Commerce, and finally as a loan officer and then branch manager for Jefferson Savings and Loan.

While Doug and Shelly were in High School, Bert was the secretary of the Fairfield Booster Club, volunteering many hours so she could be directly involved in the sports activities in which her children participated. Though hard-working, she rarely missed a sporting event (football, basketball, track, cross country, wrestling and baseball!)

In October of 1984, she relocated to Arizona, a state she loved while visiting Doug after he moved there following his graduation in 1977. She became a huge Valley sports fan, attending as many of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks games as she could. You didn't dare call her during a game! She still loved her Iowa Hawkeyes, but Valley sports became her true love. When in the car with Bert, she only listened to sports talk shows, never music! At home, it was the same! No "reality TV" or soaps for Bert, just sports channels!!

She became a workaholic at Kyle Jones Enterprises, never taking vacations UNTIL she would return to Iowa to visit Shelly and her family, or when her Iowa family came to visit her. She always hoped to return to Iowa to see her grandchildren participate in sports, but even if she couldn't, she felt overwhelming pride when Shelly would call to tell her about a particular game of Austin's or Rachel's dance recital.

Friends and family reinterate that Bert was a very hard worker and good at whatever she did. She was always caring, had a great laugh and smile and LOVED the sun! While in Iowa, her favorite color was red, but after she moved to Arizona, she bled purple and orange, the color of the Phoenix Suns! She loved her sports!

Survivors include her son, Doug Ulm of Phoenix, AZ, daughter, Shelly Deutsch and her husband Kirk of Iowa City, along with their two children, Austin and Rachel.