Roberta Sue Davies, 67, passed away Wednesday, March 28, in Freeman, SD.

The daughter of David Lloyd Davies, Jr. and Mary Aleen Davies, Roberta was born June 17, 1950 in Pierre, SD. She was reared in Rapid City and graduated from Rapid City High School in 1968.

She then attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. During summers, she worked as a nanny in both California and New York, where she was able to indulge her interests in sightseeing, theater and other arts. She graduated from USD with a bachelor’s degree in psychology as well as a teacher’s certification.

She moved to Missoula, MT, where she worked at a women’s shelter. By 1990 she was able to return to her beloved Black Hills, working at the public TV station in Rapid City. Through the years she continued to travel, focusing primarily on national parks.

Roberta had a soft spot for cats and often kept several at a time. She loved music, and her favorite artists included Elvis, Barbra Streisand, the Beatles and Michael Bolton. And she was unabashed in her affection for her all-time favorite movie star, Chuck Norris.

Even after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Roberta never lost the exuberant laugh she was so well known for. Eventually she found her way to the skilled caregivers at Freeman Regional’s Oakview Terrace in Freeman, SD. As her Elvis poster on the wall of her room looked on, Roberta laughed her inveterate laugh and won over fellow residents as well as the professionals who helped care for their “Birdie” over the last 16 years.

Roberta was preceded in death by her father and mother, brother Edward Hart Davies, and nephew Michael Jon Davies. She is survived by sister-in-law Cynthia Davies; brother Larry Davies and his wife, Gail; sister Karen Miller and her husband, Paul; brother Joe Davies and his wife, Deborah, sister Genevieve Davies; and eight nieces and nephews.