Dale Louise Roberts passed away at the hospice unit in Longwood, FL on November 27, 2025 at the age of 78.
Dale was born in Bridgeport, CT in December of 1946 to David Phelps, a WWII veteran and purple heart recipient, and his stay-at-home wife, Dorothy Luippold Phelps who was as sweet as she was lovely. Dale was the second of five children born to the couple. Crippling war injuries forced David and Dorothy to move their young family to the warmer climate of sunny Orlando, Florida where Dale and her siblings were raised in a meager but meaningful way.
Dale, or Dolly, as she came to be known, graduated from Maynard Evans HS in 1964 and a year later at the age of 18, she left her family to attend Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington, TX. There she met her future husband, Harold Roberts, and the couple were married in May of 1966.
Tragedy struck Dolly in Nov of 1967 as the young couple lost their first baby girl, Kimberly Dawn at 4 days old. 13 months later, however, they joyfully welcomed their second daughter and in February of 1970 Dolly gave birth to their youngest daughter.
The couple lived briefly in Louisiana and Florida but resettled back in Fort Worth, TX where Dolly was a beloved kindergarten teacher at South Campus Christian Academy for many years.
The family moved to Hot Springs Village, AR in 1983. She loved the town and called it home for the next 30 years. She survived open heart surgery in her 50's, and in her early 70's she survived breast cancer. She had a lovely alto voice, singing in church choirs her entire life. She also sang in the cast "The Witness" musical at Mid-America Amphitheater. She was always an active member within her Church family and taught countless children in Sunday-school through the years.
Dolly finally returned to Florida in 2023 to be close to her sisters. She spent the last 20 months of her life in Longwood FL enjoying activities with her friends and family. No matter what successes or personal difficulties she experienced she always kept her faith that Jesus Christ was her Redeemer.
She is preceded in death by her father and mother, her husband, Harold, her daughter, Stacie, her partner, Robert Morphew, and her brother, Doug Phelps. She is survived by her daughter, Starla, her brother, Dave, her sister, Dawn, her sister, Darlene, her grandson, Jacob, her grandson, Zach, her grandson, Jonathan, her grandson, Jordan, her granddaughter, Haley, her grandchild, Kayden (FKA Hannah), her grandson, Bobby Jr, and three great grandchildren.
She will be memorialized in a private family service and her ashes will be laid to rest next to her brother in Apopka, FL. She will also have her ashes scattered by her grandsons in a private location on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs at the place she loved to walk to in the evenings to watch the sun set and thank God for another day.
