William M. “Billy” Roberts of Hamden, died Nov. 19, 2025, at the Mountainside Care Center in Margaretville after a lengthy illness. He was 68 years old.
Billy was the youngest of three sons, born on Dec. 23, 1956, in Utica, to William and MaryJane Roberts, formerly of Delhi. The family moved to Delhi in 1963 when Billy was six years old. He attended Delaware Academy Central School and later received a GED from that school in 1979.
Billy worked in construction and held several jobs. He worked for the Delaware County Highway Department, worked in his grandfather’s stone quarry, worked as an electrician, a carpenter, a roofer and a stone mason and worked several years for SUNY Delhi maintenance department. He was a jack of all trades and could fix, repair or build just about anything. In 2002 he worked for two years helping to build his brother Rick’s new house in Hamden, a time of which Rick has fond memories.
He was married in 1981 to Linda Balaban and lived in Delhi where they had two children, Whitney in 1988 and Tyler in 1989. Linda and Billy were divorced in 1991.
Billy’s favorite hobby was motorcycles. At the time of his death he owned five Harley Davidsons, two of which he rode and three in various stages of construction or repair. He rode in several local “Ice Cream Runs” and other fundraising cycle events and had several like-minded motorcycle friends. He loved dogs and cats and had several, the last, Zoe the chihuahua predeceased him by three months.
He is survived by his daughter: Whitney Roberts of Cape Vincent; his son: Tyler Roberts of Denver, CO; his brother: Richard “Rick” Roberts of Hamden; his niece: Carrie Roberts and grandnephew, Colton Grawe, both of Delhi; his sister-in-law: Sue Roberts and nephew Sion Roberts, both of Maricopa, AZ; his aunt: Shirley Warren and his mother: MaryJane Roberts, both in the Mountainside Care Center in Margaretville; and his former wife: Linda Ortiz of Hamden.
He was predeceased by his father: William Roberts; his brother: Darrell Roberts; and his sister-in-law: Rosemary Roberts.
A celebration of Billy’s life will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, at MacArthur Funeral Home, 134 Main Street, Delhi.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Helios Care (www.helioscare.org) in Oneonta.
Please visit www.macarthurfh.com to share condolences with Billy’s family.
