HER STORY
Roberta was born March 13, 1939, in Cambridge, MA to Joseph Greene and Dorothy (Skinner) Greene. Roberta attended the Houghton Elementary School and Cambridge High & Latin and was a graduate of Holy Ghost Hospital School for Practical Nursing earning her LPN December 1st, 1968.
After graduating high school she married Donald (Buggy) Beckford and from that union Nancy, Phyllis and Darlene were born. When her marriage ended and she was raising three young girls alone, she was on welfarewhich she hated - and was discouraged by her social worker from going to nursing school. This was a time when young women of color were routinely discouraged from pursuing higher education, but Roberta would not be stopped - she went to nursing school at what is now Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, graduated in 1968, and went to work.
Roberta later remarried, had a son Derek, and she continued on as a strong and loving mother to her kids. She made sure they had a solid foundation, bringing them to church and singing in the choir, and she inspired them by dedicating her adult life to helping others - first as a nurse at Youville Hospital, and then for 24 years as a caseworker for Somerville Cambridge Elder Services.
Roberta was a spirit-filled woman with a beautiful singing voice, who was often asked to comfort family and friends with her singing at home-going services. She was an active participant in Community Conversations: A Women's Health Initiative, and throughout her life and work Roberta has continually blazed her own trail. She was fondly referred to as Ma by many, but she often referred to herself as Roberta Good Woman.
She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph Greene (Father), Dorothy Greene (Mother), sister Josephine Greene and daughter Nancy Beckford.
She leaves to cherish her memory her children Phyllis Beckford, Darlene (James) Pearson, Derek Goodman; her sister Anita (Greene) Beckett; grandchildren Shelley (Ehren) Flaherty, Divon Goodman, Jayda Pearson, India Goodman; great-grandchildren Deavoni Beckford, Demetri, Chance and Amari Flaherty, Layla Goodman, Xavier and Alaia Craig and great-great grandchild Kayden Gordon; nieces and nephew Terri (Lodis) Johnson, Dean (Kim) Scott and Rhonda Greene, her dear friend Grayce Stead and a host of other family and friends.
ORDER OF SERVICE
Officiating...Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend-Gikes
Union Baptist Church
Organist…Minister Steven Hunter
Call to Worship: Rev. Dr. Cheryl Townsend-Gilkes
Congregational Hymn: “Blessed Assurance”
Invocation: Reverend Cheryl Townsend-Gilkes
Solo: “Move On Up A Little Higher” – Kendall Scott
Scripture Readings:
Old Testament: Proverbs 31:10-31 – Dean Scott
New Testament:1st Corinthians 15:51-58 - Shelley Flaherty
Solo: “I Bowed Down on my Knee and Cried Holy’ – Karen Dottin-Ricketts
Proclamation – Mayor E. Denise Simmons
Acknowledgements – Derek Goodman & Rhonda Greene
Resolutions
Obituary – Rhonda Greene & Derek Goodman
Prayer of Comfort/Pastoral Privilege – Rev. Dr. J. Anthony Lloyd
Congregational Hymn: “Farther Along”
Eulogy – Reverend Cheryl Townsend-Gilkes
Congregational Hymn: “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”
Recessional
