Roberta Ruth Gribbon

Roberta Ruth Gribbon, daughter of Ruth Troth and The Reverend Robert B. Gribbon, departed this life on Sunday, February 23rd, 2026. Born in September 1935 and baptized in Trenton, New Jersey, she spent her early years in Plainfield before attending schools in England and Missouri. In 1954, she moved to Talbot County, the place that would become her lifelong home. Roberta earned her Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees in English from the University of Maryland, and her Master’s degree from Columbia University. After beginning her teaching career at Towson State College, she joined the 1967 inaugural faculty of Chesapeake College in Wye Mills MD – an opportunity she often described as an answer to her mother’s prayers for a job close to home. As the first Chair of the English Department, Roberta taught in borrowed classrooms until the college’s permanent campus opened in 1968. Her scholarly passion was English literature, especially Old English, and she served as a mentor to countless colleagues. She also held leadership roles within the Division of Arts and Sciences and as Chair of the Faculty Assembly. Her students remembered her for her deep interest in their learning styles and her unwavering commitment to their success. After thirty years of full-time service, she retired in 1997, continuing to teach part-time for fourteen more years while traveling widely. Roberta was active in the Girl Scouts and the Episcopal Church. She was especially devoted to the global mission of Episcopal Relief & Development, combining her faith and love of travel by visiting Episcopal and Anglican communities on every continent. She was also the oldest communicant of Trinity Cathedral in Easton, Maryland. Roberta was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister, Joy Evans. She is survived by her sister, Sara Lee Menzer; her brother, The Rev. Bob Gribbon; and many nieces and nephews. Her niece, Ellen Lee Evans, will continue to live at the family “homeplace” Roberta lovingly maintained in Talbot County. Funeral Services will be held Monday, March 2nd, 2026, at Trinity Cathedral, 315 Goldsborough Street, in Easton, MD at 11:00 am, officiated by Bishop Shand, followed by a brief gathering in the hall. The service can be seen using the blue View Webcast button on the left. Interment will follow at: 1:00 pm at Old White Marsh Cemetery, Manadier Rd, Trappe, MD. For those who wish to honor her memory with a charitable contribution, the family suggests any of the following organizations: Episcopal Relief & Development, Camp Wright in Stevensville, MD, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay to benefit troops in Talbot County or the Chesapeake College Foundation. Each accepts gifts for specific memorials or funds. Roberta’s life was marked by scholarship, service, family, faith, and love of travel. She touched generations of students, colleagues, parishioners, and fellow travelers. Her legacy endures in the countless lives she shaped through her teaching, her leadership, and her steadfast belief in the power of education and compassion. Arrangements are entrusted to Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home – Easton.

Roberta Ruth Gribbon

September 23, 1935 - February 23, 2026