Roberta "Bobby" Hayhurst

Roberta was born in Oak Park, Illinois on November 25,1930, to William Niles Nelson and Hazel Nelson. She had two brothers, William Nelson, Donald Nelson, and a sister Evelyn Gonder. She lived and attended school in Maywood, Illinois until she departed for college in 1948.

Roberta attended Beloit College, a liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. She studied Sociology, sang in the college choir and was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority. It was here that Bobby would meet Ken Naatz (deceased). Ken and Bobby married in 1950 and moved to Denver, Colorado. Here Bobby would give birth to three children, Kenneth Nelson Naatz (deceased), Sandra Lynn Naatz, and Martha Jean Naatz. She was a devoted and loving mother to all her children and was always there to comfort, support and encourage them throughout their lives.

Later in life, Bobby would marry Alfred Hayhurst (deceased). She became a stepmother and loving friend to her stepson Randall Hayhurst (deceased). While married to Al, she lived in Washington state and Coronado Island, California. She then returned to Colorado in 1988 where she lived for the last 37 years of her life, continuing to engage regularly with old friends and making new friendships, into her final days.

Roberta was a classically trained singer and a member of many choirs throughout her youth and adult life. She was a member of the Christ Congregational church choir and performed solos on a regular basis. Bobby sang on the radio, on TV, recorded her own albums and sang at many weddings and other celebratory events during her life. She loved all kinds of music, the opera, and attending musicals, symphonies and plays. Music was also something that contributed to her unwavering faith, which she carried and held closely through the challenging times in her life.

Bobby will forever be remembered for her everlasting smile and ability to light up a room. Her bright eyes, inquisitive nature, striking white hair and never-ending positivity were just a few of her signature traits. She loved people from all walks of life, and they were her inspiration. She collected friends wherever she went and was always eager to learn their life story. Her ability to listen and remember was keen, and she loved her family and all her friends unconditionally throughout her life.

Bobby also loved to work. Whatever the task at hand, she would take on a project and ensure it was completed, on time, with a smile. She was an entrepreneur and extremely resourceful, with the ability to “make lemonade out of lemons,” one of her favorite sayings. During her lifetime she worked in banking, as a weekly columnist and held a variety of roles in real estate and property management. As a single mom, she loved every minute of working with her children on a mirage of creative activities: Girl Scouts, Highlander Boys, talent shows, and arts and crafts. She was a doer in life and was always up for trying and experiencing new things. Bobby was artistic, classy, a trendsetter and her creative flair set her apart as others took her lead. Reading was another great passion, and she loved to read the paper daily, discuss current events and clip articles to share with her family and friends.

In the last decade of her life, Bobby enjoyed spending time with her two daughters. She loved returning to the Pacific Northwest and exploring Washington, Oregon, and Canada with Marty: Butchart Gardens, the annual Tulip Festival, boat rides, ferry excursions, exploring Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and the shores of Lake Washington. Most recently she picnicked with alpacas in Central Oregon and loved watching other wildlife. With Sandy and Sheri, she enjoyed a slow wine and cheese sunset on the boat, and she loved to sit “shotgun” on a good RV road trip. These trips took her to the Canyonlands, Zion, the Sand Dunes, Mount Rushmore, the Albuquerque Balloon Festival among many other beautiful places. A family reunion in Florida, visiting Myrtle Beach, and basking in the full moonlight in Hilton Head were other adventures she was delighted to share with her girls, family, and friends in later years.

Bobby treasured her time with dear friends: meeting them for coffee or dinner, good conversations, novel outings, driving around and running errands and looking at how things had changed. She looked forward to her annual visit to the Brown Palace Hotel for Christmas to listen to the pianist who knew her by name. Stopping to smell the flowers and any place she could “lift mine eyes to the hills” never went unnoticed.

Bobby will be forever missed by those who knew and loved her. As one friend said, “the world has lost a strong and positive spirit.” She is survived by her daughter and daughter -in-law, Sandy Naatz and Sheri Langford of Centennial, CO, as well as Marty Naatz of Bend, OR. We are especially thankful and grateful for the love, care and fun that Roberta received from her dear friends over the years.

Remembrances can be made in her name to the charity of your choice, as Roberta contributed to and supported a variety of diverse organizations over the years.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Columbine United Church, 6375 S. Platte Canyon Road, Littleton, CO 80123 at 2:00 pm. Refreshments will follow.

In loving memory of Bobby, our Angel on Earth who is now in Heaven.