Mary Lou Roberts

MaryLou (Biggs) Roberts of Pataskala (more recently Marysville) died Saturday, October 5, 2024, at OSU Hospital after a brief illness.

MaryLou was born on July 12, 1942 and grew up in Pataskala.  She met Ed Roberts at Watkins Memorial High School and accompanied Eddie when he was called to San Diego to attend basic training for the US Marine Corps.  The couple returned to Pataskala in 1958, were married, and raised three children.  She later graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Education.  She retired from teaching middle school students for Columbus City Schools after 22 years.

MaryLou was an active member of the Red Hat Society, Ladies' Oriental Shrine of North America (including former High Priestess), and, for more than 50 years, the Order of the Eastern Star.  She was engaged politically, serving many years as a poll-worker and would have been very disappointed not to vote in the 2024 election.  She enjoyed spending time with her family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, all of whom affectionally called her “GiGi.”  She was an animal lover to both wild animals and domestic as a mother of many pets (dog Annie survives her), an accomplished chef (“GiGi is cooking the turkey”) and baker in the kitchen, and skilled seamstress in her sewing room. For more than six decades, she and Eddie (“Papaw”) were largely inseparable; Papaw would drive Gigi most places in her later years.  Their mutual devotion remained firm, as he provided her comfort in her last breaths.  Eddie survives her.

In addition to her husband, MaryLou is survived by her children Janet (Tim) Eng, Diane (Curtis) Reichert, and Dale (Warunya) Roberts; grandchildren Samantha (Zachary), Heidi (Tom), Charlie (Melanie), Morgan (Josh), Max, and Markus; great-grandchildren Addison, Aiden, Aria, Zoe, Avery, Cooper, Bode, Lucy, Brecken, and Sage; siblings Robert (Marlene) Biggs and Richard (Merri) Biggs; along with numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Katherine (Dunlap) Biggs; grandson Creighton Zirkle; brother Frank Biggs, Jr.; and sisters Jean Moorhead and Katherine Roman.

MaryLou was cremated and her ashes will be spread at a private ceremony in the future.