MFU Memorial Run Photos

Some photos from the “MFU Memorial Run” this past weekend in Taiwan are attached. The day was a great success with beautiful weather, a great run with close to 300 runners, a 25 table bash followed by live music until 10pm when the local cops turned up and shut the party down.

Mark Dolan who lives in Taipei and used to run with John regularly on the Hsinchu Hash built a very moving memorial to John which had a prominent role at the event. We all felt John looking down on us with a big smile on his face.

~from Eliot Fisk

Memorial Weekend in Taiwan

from Brooks Hurd:

The China Hash 1600th Run & MFU Memorial Weekend
March 4th & 5th, 2006

Start March madness off right as the China Hash joins the Hsinchu, Taipei, Taichung, Bear, and Free China Hashes for a weekend of epic trails and cold brews in celebration of our 1,600th run, and to come together in remembering a beloved fellow hasher.

The Funeral

See photos

Major FU Tribute Song

Composed and performed by friends on a bike trip in Vietnam, for which John was the organizer.

• See video (Quicktime required)
• Hear audio

James L. Roberts Family Photos

Memorial Service

Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 4th at 2:00 p.m. at Wages Snellville Chapel. The family will receive friends Saturday from 12 noon until service time.

Tom M. Wages Funeral Services, Inc.
Snellville Chapel
3705 Hwy 78 West
Snellville, GA 30078
770/979-3200
www.wagesfuneralhome.com

Those desiring may make donations to:

Kidsplay Therapy Center
311 Cooper Road
Loganville, GA 30052

Or a charity of their choice in honor of John J. Roberts. Thank you for all your prayers, blessings and kind words.

Update on John's Accident

Accounts of the accident were a bit fuzzy yesterday, but clearer today.

These details come John's assistant, who later had to identify his body.

John was out jogging in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. As he was preparing to cross the street, according to an eye witness, he looked both ways. A mini-bus came "out of nowhere" and struck him.

A passing British motorist stopped and aided him, escourting him to the hospital. To him, our family extends the greatest thanks and respect.

John sustained a broken arm and leg, fractured pelvis, broken ribs, bruises and lacerations. Despite these injuries, he was awake and lucid when they took him to the hospital. A CTscan indicated no brain damage, and he was able to speak his name, and repeated that he was an American working for Parsons Brinckerhoff.

During or soon after John died.

But the man was almost 60 and still jogging, trekking and biking like a 30-year-old!