Roberta Ann Whittaker

Roberta Ann “Robbie” Whittaker, 75, of St. Joseph, passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by her family on Sunday, November 5, 2017, at Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM on Friday, November 10, 2017, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Church St., St. Joseph, Michigan. Burial will follow at Hickory Bluff Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-7 PM on Thursday, November 9, 2017, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, Michigan. A prayer service will follow at 7 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Berrien County Cancer Service or St. Vincent de Paul. Those wishing to share a memory of Robbie online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Robbie was born November 24, 1941, in Benton Harbor, Michigan to Robert and Millie (Merrill) Pelkey. When Robbie was five years old her family moved to Buchanan, Michigan where she grew up, the oldest of five children. She graduated from Buchanan High School and continued her education at Central Michigan University, after which she worked as a legal assistant, and later as an administrative assistant at Lakeland Regional Health System, from which she retired. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Following retirement Robbie volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul, Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen and Lakeland Health Care. On October 2, 1965, Robbie married Raymond Michael Whittaker, who survives. She is also survived by her children, Susan (Curt) Lake and David Whittaker; grandsons, Andrew Lake and Joseph Lake; sister, Patricia (Ronald) Collins; brother, Bruce (Kathryn) Pelkey; sister-in-law, Lynda Pelkey; six nieces and three nephews.   Preceding her in death were her parents, Robert and Millie Pelkey; brothers, Thomas Pelkey and Gregory Pelkey; and nephew, Nathanael Pelkey.