Roberta Ann Livingston December 30, 1942 — August 13, 2023
Roberta (Watson) Livingston, 80, of Westford passed away Sunday, August 13, 2023 at home after a brief illness. The daughter of the late Arthur M. Watson and Helen (Brown) Watson of Groton, she was born in Ayer, on December 30, 1942, and raised on Fertiledale Farm on Chicopee Row in Groton. She attended school in Groton and graduated from Groton High School with the class of 1960. She studied Chemistry at Lowell Technological Institute in Lowell. She worked as a legal secretary at Hall, Balas & Finnegan, P.C. in Westford for nearly 30 years, and worked in real estate selling seasonal cottages at Summer Village in Westford.
What did she love? She loved life. “Don’t you just love life!?” she said often. She meant it. No matter what the day ahead held, she looked forward to each of them. Her favorite and most often shared quote was one from her father, “If you’re born to drown, you’ll never hang.” Roberta will also be remembered for “Keep the faith” and “God is good.” She was the epitome of unconditional love and compassion.
Hers was the door your friends could show up at when they needed a place to stay. Her kids’ friends knew who to call if ever they were in need. She would arrive without delay or judgment, every single time.
She loved to dance and hummed constantly. She also loved cooking, learning and history.
Roberta was an avid New England Patriots fan and shared her love of football with her daughter Sharon. She enjoyed music of all genres and attended more than 100 concerts with her daughter Joelyn and/or her son Chuck over the years. She especially enjoyed seeing Bob Dylan, Bob Weir, Further, Willie Nelson, Neil Diamond, BSO performances at Tanglewood, and The Dead at Red Rocks. Most recently, she discovered the music of Queen, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” was one of her favorite songs. She loved Bob Marley, Patsy Cline, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, Jerry Garcia and the gospel recordings of Elvis Presley to name just a few. She loved adventures. Whether they involved travel or not, she was enthusiastic and all-in. “I’m game!” She sailed to England and back on the Queen Mary when she was 19. She took flying lessons when she was 50. She made many cherished memories traveling with her three brothers and their spouses to destinations all over the western United States and Nova Scotia, where they have cousins.
She cherished time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their many trips to Walt Disney World, Canobie Lake Park, and the holidays, especially Christmas. In recent years she became a great-grandmother to Theodore and Natalie. Every snuggle was precious to her.
She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Mayer and her husband Michael of Groton; her son, Charles Livingston of Newport, RI; her daughter Joelyn Livingston of Westford; her grandchildren: Kati; Niki and her husband Andrew Anderson; Harry and Mikey; her two great-grandchildren, Theo and Natalie; her brother William Watson and his wife Diane of Nevada; and sister-in-law Linda Watson of California. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Jean, brother Ron. and twin brother Robert.
She is also survived by her two devoted and beloved cats Theodore and Violet Rutherford.
Family and friends will gather to remember Roberta on Friday, August 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Badger Funeral Home, 45 School St. Groton. A graveside service will follow at 12:45 p.m. at Groton Cemetery, 242 Hollis St. Groton.