Roberta Allen Morgan of Chilmark, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died at her home on Nov. 11, 2025, surrounded by her family. She was 96 years old.
She was born in Oak Bluffs on Oct. 20, 1929, and was the youngest daughter of Albert Watkins Allen and Lenora Smith Allen.
Roberta met her husband, James D. Morgan, as a teenager, and they started dating upon his return from service in WWII. They married on Sept. 29, 1950, and had two children, Barbara and James (“Jimmy”). They spent 68 wonderful years together, and raised their children in a loving and joyful home. Their relationship will forever be a symbol of love and strength for Roberta’s entire family.
She opened the Harbor Craft Shop in Menemsha in the 1980s and ran it until 2019. She took great pride in her shop, and worked year-round, along with her husband, Jim, making things to be sold, including her popular beach plum jelly, children’s dresses, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, paintings, and her husband’s weathervanes and boat models.
Roberta loved life. She was full of energy and enjoyed being around people, whether it be at her shop, bingo, Linda Jean’s, or at family gatherings. Anyone visiting her at home would find her cooking, gardening, sewing, painting, or tending to her cherished home.
She was predeceased by her husband, James Morgan; and her six siblings, Albert (“Buddy”) Allen, Guy Allen, Eva Asselin, Marjorie Corio, Dorothy Tripp, and Stewart Allen. Roberta is survived by her daughter, Barbara Armstrong (John) and son, James Morgan (Diane); her grandchildren, Colin (Nettie), Patrick (Beatrice), Lily (Drew), and Alistair; and great-grandchildren, Asa, Razmus, Lenora, and Wyld, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Her family thanks Nancy Nevin for the exceptional care she provided their mother and grandmother over the past several years. They also want to thank Dr. Aletheia Donahue, the staff at the M.V. Hospital, and Hospice and Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard.
If you would like to donate to a charity in Roberta’s name, please consider a charity that benefits children.
The interment was at Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark on Nov. 22, with a reception in the Chilmark Community Church’s Parish Hall.
