When Brian Roberts isn’t working as a sheet metal fabricator at the U metal shop, he can be found taking spontaneous motorcycle trips or spending time with his family.
Every weekend, Roberts tries to ride between 100 and 130 miles with some friends.
“We actually try to pick a different direction and spend a whole day going somewhere,” Roberts said, as he reminisces about his numerous trips.
“I’ve been all the way up to Monte Cristo (WA) to Fish Lake,” he said.
But the annual “You’re Not Forgotten Toy Run” for the Primary Children’s Medical Center is the “most important ride (he does) all year.”
Initially, when he participated in this event, he was just happy to help the cause, but soon it had a more personal connection.
“It’s just one of those things that has always been close to my heart, helping with kids,” Roberts said.
Since he started working at the metal shop about 15 years ago, being close to the hospital made the ride more meaningful to him. In the last three years, the ride became more personal when his granddaughter Kimberly was born with hydrocephalus and diagnosed with a condition called Walker-Warburg Syndrome, a rare disability characterized by muscular dystrophy and mental retardation.
“He’s a great family man,” said his daughter, Breanna Roberts.
When his kids were growing up, Roberts would spend time with each of them individually. One of Breanna’s fondest memories of her dad is cheering on the U’s gymnastics team, the Red Rocks, when they would get season passes. Roberts’ son Chris, who works at the U’s grounds department, was not neglected — Roberts used to take him to all of the U football games.
Roberts has always lived in Utah, except for the time he served in the Marine Corps during the Iran-Contra Affair from 1983 to 1988. Roberts served in the infantry, but never saw combat.
“We were always in training,” Roberts said. “I’ve been in California and Hawaii. We also trained in Korea and Australia.”
“Months after I got out, my unit went to Grenada,” he said.
Leading a spontaneous life as he does, Roberts enjoys working at the metal shop, where his work sometimes involves helping students with projects. Roberts helped make the Union time capsule and is now making a time capsule for the Warnock Engineering Building. He is also building panels for the new plasma TVs in the Field House and working on handicap armrests for Kingsbury Hall.
“It’s interesting because it’s so different from day to day,” Roberts said.
“We try to keep contractors out of here as much as we can,” he laughed.
The U metal shop is a team of seven people who perform all sorts of repairs and maintenance around campus.
“Anything around campus, we’ll do. For a cost-saving program, just have the metal shop do it,” Roberts said.
Tyler CobbU metal shop worker Brian Roberts says he tries to ride his motorcycle between 100 and 130 miles with friends on weekends.