In Memory

Bruce Roberts



 
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03/18/16 12:02 PM #1    

Barbara Cannon (Gray)

Obituary: Roberts, Bruce

Bruce John Roberts 
1949 ~ 2010 

Bruce John Roberts, age 61, died on March 13 due to complications of melanoma, family at his side.Best known for his role in Cosmic Aeroplane Books and Records, he 

remained in the book business until his death, most recently employed by the University of Utah Press as director of marketing and sales. 

Graduated from Skyline High School where he managed the football team, earned several journalism awards and an academic scholarship. Attended the University of Utah where he served as sports editor for The Daily Utah Chronicle, presented several significant bands in the Union Ballroom including The Grateful Dead, and was active in the political dissent of the times. 

Bruce was fiercely dedicated to his work but managed always to keep it entertaining. He loved being on the road, exploring new territory and eating great food. His priorities changed somewhat with the arrival of Andrew, Sam and Hannah. He has instilled in them his same love of travel, food, adventure and of course reading. 

Bruce has affected many lives and leaves a huge void. His family, now in great sadness, includes children Andrew, Sam and Hannah; their mother, Julie Howell; sister Becky Sue Roberts; brother Dan of the Utah Jazz and wife Jane Ann; nephew Jeremy Roberts and wife Aimee; niece Amy Bolton and husband Brad; multiple grand nieces and one grand nephew. 

Great thanks to the staff of the melanoma clinic at the Huntsman Center, particularly Leann, and to the multitude of physicians and nurses involved in his care at the 

University of Utah Medical Center. 

Melanoma is a preventable 

disease. Protect yourself from sun exposure, avoid tanning booths. 

Family recommends donations to the Huntsman Cancer Center. 

An open house celebration in 

Bruce's honor will be held on April Fool's Day at Red Butte Gardens from 5 - 8 p.m., 300 Wakara Way, above the University of Utah Research Park research area. An intimate gathering for family and close friends will follow. Condolances at www.starksfuneral.com
Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Sunday, March 21, 2010

Bruce Roberts: Cosmic Aeroplane progenitor dies

Bruce Roberts, a partner in Salt Lake City's fabled bookstore Cosmic Aeroplane, died of melanoma early Saturday at the University of Utah hospital. He was 61. 

Born in McGill, Nev., Roberts graduated from Skyline High School in 1966 before attending the University of Utah, where he studied journalism and edited the sports section of The Daily Utah Chronicle student newspaper. 

An avid sports fan who loved the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and followed his high school football team throughout adulthood, Roberts formed a partnership with Ken Sanders during the mid-1970s. The two transformed Cosmic Aeroplane, at 258 E. 100 South, originally founded in 1967 as a head shop, into a book and record store that served as the city's countercultural hub. 

"Bruce and the Cosmic Aeroplane are difficult to separate," said John Greene, station manager of KUER. Greene first met Roberts during his days at community radio station KRCL, then located above the Blue Mouse cinema, which was adjacent to Cosmic Aeroplane. 

"Cosmic Aeroplane was the epicenter of cool for a lot of people," Greene said. "It was the kind of store where you'd find people with 5-inch-high spiked hair right next to literature professors." 

A fan of almost anything offbeat, Roberts loaned records to KRCL disc jockeys and teamed with Greene as a concert promoter for punk and reggae bands who played the Utah State Fairgrounds Coliseum. On the bookstore side, Roberts found himself middleman to several forgeries of Mark Hoffmann, the documents forgerer who killed two people with pipe bomb explosions. 

Roberts was also a steadfast supporter of civil liberties issues who never missed a chance to promote banned books, Greene said. 

Roberts was a chivalrous and irreverent businessman who kept work schedules flexible for employees working their way through school, recalled Jane Otto, a nonprofit consultant living in Los Angeles who worked five years at the book and record store. He hosted "whiskey weekend" buffet tables, replete with bottles of Jack Daniel's, to power store employees through the final weekend of the holiday shopping season. 

"It was a crazy quilt of a family," Otto said. "It was the most diverse place I'd ever worked. Maintaining all the diverse aspects of that store really spoke to Bruce at his core." 

With the onslaught of chain book stores in the 1980s, plus a satellite store in St. George that spread business thin, the store announced its closing in 1991. From there, Roberts launched a series of publishing concerns before landing a job as sales and marketing director for the University of Utah Press. 

"His children, his book business and his dog Bill were the most important things in his life," said Becky Roberts, his younger sister, who works as a nurse practitioner in Panguich. 

Roberts is survived by his children Andrew, Hannah and Sam. 

Family and friends will celebrate Roberts' life on April Fool's Day at a location to be announced. 

bfulton@sltrib.com
Salt Lake Tribune, The (UT) - Monday, March 15, 2010

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