Longtime Nevada newsman William G. ‘Bill’ Roberts has died

William G. "Bill" Roberts, a Tonopah native and longtime central Nevada journalist, died Saturday at Renown Medical Center in Reno following a brief illness. He was 64. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. at the Tonopah Convention Center.

Roberts was born June 20, 1951, the son of Gerald and Bonnie Ruth Roberts. He was the first Boy Scout in Tonopah to earn the rank of Eagle Scout in more than 40 years, was an acolyte at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and was valedictorian of the Tonopah High School class of 1969. He also excelled in sports, lettering in track, basketball and football, and was a conference "player of the year" and an "all state" selection as a Mucker quarterback/halfback.

He attended Stanford University after high school but transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received a bachelor of arts degree with distinction in journalism. He was also a member of Phi Kappa Phi scholastic honorary and Kappa Tau Alpha journalism honorary societies.

Following graduation he became a reporter and copy editor at the San Rafael (Calif.) Independent-Journal, returning to Tonopah to wed Barbara (Bobby) Jean Jamison. The couple lived in San Rafael for a brief period before moving to Bishop, Calif., where both worked for Chalfant Press publications.

In March, 1975 they joined with his parents to form Central Nevada Newspapers, Inc., which owned the Tonopah Times-Bonanza and Goldfield News, the Reese River Reveille and the Eureka Sentinel for three decades. After selling the Tonopah and Eureka papers to the Stephens Media Group, former owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal he continued as a columnist and Mrs. Roberts was local site manager for the new owners.

Roberts was a past president of the Nevada State Press Association, which had honored him as the association's "outstanding young journalist."

He was a director of the Tonopah Chamber of Commerce and of the Tonopah Convention Center; president of the local Rotary Club; member of the Fifth Judicial District court juvenile probation advisory board; member of the Federal Judicial Merit Selection Commission; and member of the advisory commission for Nevada's 125th anniversary celebration.

Roberts was an active Freemason, serving in several local and statewide offices culminating in his election as the state's Grand Master in 1990.

He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, Elizabeth, sister Helen Williams of Fernley, and grandparents William and Alice Roberts and Ray French and Gladys Brown. Survivors include his wife and son, Mathew William Roberts; two grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Masonic Services of Nevada, Masonic Services Association or any other charity.