Thelma M. Roby

Thelma Marguerite (Corson) Roby, age 96, passed away peacefully on September 9th, 2018 at her apartment in Toledo, OH. She was born January 13, 1922 in Paducah, Kentucky – the oldest child of Clifford and Oda (Leukering) Corson. She grew up on the family farm near Metropolis, Illinois with 10 more siblings who survived infancy. She attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where she graduated in 1944. She began her career as a medical technologist at Memorial Hospital in Lima, Ohio. Like many of her peers during World War II, she worked multiple jobs, serving her internship at St. Rita’s Hospital in Lima, studying for her MT/ASCP certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, and working as a chemist at the Lima Iron Works. It was in Lima that she met Leslie Roby, a young soldier returning from the war. They married in 1947 and raised five children: Larry (Donna), Gary (Tina), Chet (Jayne), Pam (Jim), and Brian (Sheryl). She is preceded in death by her parents, and siblings William, Doyle, Alice Marie, Lloyd, and Joyce. She is survived by her siblings Dorothy (Kaufman), Jeniece (Meier), Susan (Godwin), Dixie (Luoma), and Patricia (McDaniel) along with her 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 21 great grandchildren. She was a great woman and a deeply devoted mother and wife, with a strong faith and a powerful impact on a wide spectrum of people. The funeral service will be held at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W Sylvania Avenue, Toledo, OH, on Sunday, September 16. Visitation is from 9:00 – 11:00 AM, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 AM, and a reception at 1:00 PM at the First Christian Church, 5271 W. Alexis Road in Sylvania, OH. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made by check to the ASCP Foundation, and mailed to ASCP Foundation, ATTN: Harry Bauer, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603. Write “Thelma Roby Scholarship Fund” on the memo line.