Remembering Roberta Lundy Headley: A Life of Education, Public Service, and Community
Roberta (Robbie) Lundy Headley, a longtime educator and community volunteer whose life spanned from the Pacific Northwest to international postings in Latin America and later decades in New Jersey and Delaware, died on October 21, 2026, at the age of 85.
Passing away at the inpatient hospice unit of Christiana Hospital in Delaware, Roberta spent her final years in Memory Care at the Summit Retirement Community in Hockessin, Delaware, following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband of many years, William (Bill) E. Headley, predeceased her by two years.
An Itinerant Childhood Shaped by Public Health
Born into a family whose trajectory was defined by public health service, Roberta grew up moving across borders. Her father, Howard Winston Lundy, earned a Ph.D. in bacteriology, while her mother, Frances Gill Lundy, had been one of the few women to major in chemistry during the 1930s. Frances stepped away from her own formal career path initially to support Howard’s doctoral studies and subsequent public health career.
In 1945, the family settled briefly in Seattle, Washington, where Howard led the State Health Education Division. Four years later, in 1949, when Roberta was eight years old, her father accepted a position as a Health Education Consultant with the United States Public Health Service. This appointment spurred an international relocation, taking the family to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for three and a half years, followed by a year and a half in Mexico City, Mexico.
While abroad, Howard traveled to remote regions to assist in improving healthcare access for indigenous populations. For Roberta and her sisters, Barb and Sylvia, these years left lasting memories of attending American schools, acquiring fluency in Spanish and Portuguese, traveling widely, and keeping a diverse array of household pets, including a pet monkey.
Academic Roots and Tragedy in New York
The family returned to the United States by 1955 when Howard took on the role of Scientific Director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America, anchoring their home in New Jersey while he worked in New York City. Within less than a month of starting the new position, he suffered a heart attack at his office and died.
In the wake of this sudden loss, Frances Lundy secured employment as the Registrar at Douglass College, the women’s division of Rutgers University. Roberta subsequently enrolled at Douglass College, graduating in 1963 with a degree in psychology.
During the spring of 1963, Roberta met William Headley, who was then attending Princeton graduate school. The couple married, and in 1965, William accepted a position teaching physics and mathematics at the Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey.
Three Decades in the Classroom
Roberta established her own path in education beginning in 1972, when she started teaching kindergarten at Kent Place School, eventually advancing to Director of the Kindergarten. For the entirety of her teaching career, she and her family lived in faculty housing located on the school campus.
Her commitment to pedagogical development earned recognition when she became the first faculty member at Kent Place School to receive an award funding professional development abroad. She traveled to England to complete a program at Oxford University, followed by a week with the head of an “infant school” in the area serving children ages four to seven. After thirty-three years, she retired from teaching.
Community Engagement in Delaware
In 2006, Roberta and William relocated to Wilmington, Delaware. There, she integrated herself into local civic and religious life, becoming active at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek (UUSMC). Her contributions included singing in the choir, serving as secretary for the Social Justice Committee, teaching Religious Education, and participating in a Chalice Circle. She also pursued continuing education through classes at the OSHER Center for Lifelong Learning (OLLI) and dedicated her spare time to oil painting, frequently capturing landscapes from her travels.
Beyond the arts and her congregation, Roberta committed a decade to adult literacy through Literacy Volunteers Serving Adults (LVSA), now known as Literacy Delaware, Inc. She tutored adult students from other countries in basic reading and writing, guiding five of her students to successfully achieve United States citizenship. Her efforts were recognized with a Distinguished Volunteer Award presented by then-Governor of Delaware Jack Markell.
Roberta Leaves Behind Three Children and Seven Grandchildren
Roberta is survived by her three children: Diana Headley Saunders of Wilmington, Delaware (and her husband, Chris Malmstrom); Robert Headley of Seattle, Washington (and his wife, Natalie He); and Jon Headley of Pasadena, California (and his wife, Wende Headley). She also leaves behind seven grandchildren: Jessica and Fiona Saunders, Tyler and Sofia Headley, and Matt, Chris, and Jackson Headley.
In a statement, her children shared: “We love you Mom, and will always be thankful for everything that you did for us, and for the love that you showed us throughout our lives.”
A celebration of life service is scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek, located at 579 Polly Drummond Hill Road in Newark, Delaware. The family has acknowledged the care provided during Roberta’s final years by Accent Care Inpatient Hospice at Christiana Hospital, Comfort Keepers, Home Instead, and the administration and staff at the Summit Retirement Community.
Those wishing to honor her memory with a charitable contribution are encouraged to support the Unitarian Universalist Society of Mill Creek or Literacy Delaware, Inc.
