Kevin Larry Roberts was born on October 17, 1971 to the late Harcourt and Edith Roberts. He was the youngest of his siblings and was raised in Philadelphia. Kevin was educated in the Philadelphia Public School system at Pierce Elementary School and W.B. Saul Agricultural High School.
As a young child, Kevin loved playing with Tonka trucks and model cars, an interest he carried into adulthood. Being gifted a model car would always bring a smile to his face. He was also a Boy Scout with a passion for sports — basketball being his favorite — and music, especially gospel music.
He traveled with his parents and niece Tamika, who is more like a sister, to various Masonic conventions around the country. He was also an honorable member of the U.S. Army.
Kevin was baptized at the New Bethany Baptist Church as a young man. He began his drumming career at New Bethany Baptist Church and later became a faithful member of almost 30 years of St. Joseph Baptist Church. There he pursued his love of music by becoming the church’s drummer.
He served as head liaison to the Rev. Fleming, and was chairperson of the church security ministry and vice president of the audio ministry, where he was responsible for sound and audio engineering. Not only did he play the drums for church services, but he also mentored younger, aspiring drummers in the church congregation.
His musical interests and talent led him to become a member of the Pyramid Temple #1 Drum and Bugle Corps at the Masonic Lodge at 15th and Girard Avenue.
Kevin played drums for Kevin Wilkins, the Johnny Thompson singers, the David Winslow singers, the Philadelphia Mass Choir and Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). He accompanied the former Central High School Gospel Choir and several other choirs and ministries at home and abroad.
Kevin married the love of his life, Shirley (Pumpkin) Jordan, on September 9th, 2018. They first met when Pumpkin was singing in the former Central High School Gospel Choir, and he was accompanying the choir on the drums. They maintained a friendship throughout the years. In 2010, they reconnected and together raised two beautiful girls, Simone and Kayden.
The four of them loved to travel, attending live concerts and movies, spending time with family, shopping, and rooting for their favorite teams at soccer, basketball, baseball, and football games. When they were out on the town and pictured in photos, they were often fashionably coordinated as a family. That was all Kevin, who got a kick out of seeing them styled to perfection under his fashionable eye. He was also the “undercover comedian” in the group, who enjoyed making everyone laugh. But most of all, he just loved spending time with his family.
Kevin is preceded in death by his parents, sister Elaine and brother Jeffrey, and leaves to mourn, Shirley (Pumpkin) his wife of three years, his three daughters, Kayden, Simone and Kevone, his mother-in-law Shirley Jordan, five sisters — Pamela Groover, Trudy Fredrick (Charles), Susan Benn, Louise Lewis, and Mercedes Rhodes (Wayne), four brothers — Harcourt Roberts Jr., Kenneth Roberts Sr., Eugene Roberts Sr., David Lawson (Brenda), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Humbly submitted,
The Family
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