David Earl Robertson
David Earl Robertson, of Roanoke, Va., passed away Monday, November 18, 2024 at age 76.
Born in Roanoke, David graduated from Cave Spring HS in 1966, where he was a proud member of the Knights’ band in their percussion section. He accompanied the band on its trip through Europe during his time with them. David’s love for aviation began early. As a teen, he flew with his father and worked at Roanoke Municipal Airport refueling airplanes.
David attended Emory & Henry College, graduating in 1970 with a degree in economics and a geology minor. He was a member of Phi Pi Alpha fraternity.
After graduation, David enlisted in the United States Navy. He served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Independence, including tours at sea, at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and at drydock in Norfolk.
David became an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration and worked in that role at both Roanoke Municipal Airport and Washington National Airport. He obtained his private pilot’s license and spent several years flying with the Acorn Flying Club out of Roanoke. He was a proud member of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association and participated in the union’s 1981 strike for better wages and working conditions. The government fired them all.
Shortly thereafter, David returned to his hometown and began working with his father, Earl, as a real estate appraiser for Commonwealth Appraisal, Inc. The two ran the business until David’s retirement in 2017.
He married Dr. Caren Lea Diefenderfer in December 1985, and the couple adopted two boys, Mark and Joseph.
David loved aviation, baseball, boating, and model railroading. He was active in his faith, attending Greene Memorial United Methodist Church — where he chaired the church’s Commission on Church and Society and supported Justice House, which worked to provide housing for unhoused families in the Roanoke Valley — and West End United Methodist Church. He was a longtime baseball coach in the Cave Spring American Little League and guided multiple all-star teams to district titles and state tournament appearances.
David is preceded in death by his wife, Caren, and his parents, Phyllis and Earl. He is survived by his sons, Mark and Joseph; granddaughter, Kover Caren; and brother, Douglas.
The Robertson family would like to thank the staff at Cardinal Senior Living and Affinity Care Hospice for their care for David in his final months.
David will be remembered at a memorial service Saturday, December 21 at 11 a.m. at West End United Methodist Church. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial tributes take the form of contributions to the Charles W. Sydnor Jr. Scholarship at Emory & Henry University or to West End UMC
