By Jodie Symonds
A CROWD of about 300 people gathered at Edge Martial Arts in Mt Evelyn to say their final goodbyes to Kyoshi Andrew Roberts on Thursday 1 December.
Mr Roberts, 53, passed away in his Lilydale home on Tuesday 22 November after a year-long battle with brain cancer.
Hereford Road was temporarily closed as the Mt Evelyn community stopped in honour of the influential man.
At the Edge, commonly known as ‘the dojo’, community members paid their respects and said goodbye to the man they admired.
A service was held at 10am at the Lilydale Memorial Park, where family members and friends shared memories of the time they got to spend with Mr Roberts.
His large smile and sense of humour was repeatedly acknowledged.
One of Mr Roberts’ jobs was as a trolley collector for Coles in Boronia, but he did not believe in this title – instead, he liked to be referred to as a ‘trolley-ologist’.
Mr Roberts, his wife of 16 years Heather and their children Katherine, Jennifer, Amy, Corey and Samantha were a close family.
They went on many family holidays, including their annual Beechworth Christmas holiday.
He was said to be “clean-freak” who constantly cleaned the family cars and always had spray and paper towel close to him.
In a touching tribute, Mrs Roberts had written and read out a poem for Mr Roberts.
“Our love was meant to be,” she said.
He had a passion for martial arts, and from the time he began, he knew he wanted to teach others who shared the same love.
His daughter Amy Gardam shared his passion and together they taught martial arts to people of all ages.
Not only did Mr Roberts live and breathe for martial arts, he was also a hardcore Western Bulldogs fan.
Through community-support and Orange Pigeon, a charity for seriously ill adults, he was given the opportunity to attend the AFL Grand Final on Saturday 1 October where his beloved Bulldogs won.
Friend Paul Veldman said Mr Roberts was a warrior through and through.
In 2015, he was awarded an Australia Day award for his service to the community.
On Sunday 23 October, Mr Roberts was graded to the rank of Rokuban, otherwise known as the Sixth Dan, which recognised years of commitment to the art.
