Roberta Lee Marasca

Roberta was born and raised in Lexington, Ma. After attending public schools she continued on to Syracuse University. A proud class of '85 graduate, Roberta stayed in the area for eight more years. It was there that she found her group of life long friends and where she began learning how to have a life in the arts. There was a small, two year hiccup - graduate school - studying neuroscience. Realizing it was the wrong path, Roberta tore up her thesis. She went on to have a happy, successful life by following her callings. 

In 1995 Roberta moved to the Chapel Hill area and made another set of life long friends. The move to North Carolina is when she began her career as a designer/craftsperson. She moved a few times in thirty years, back and forth between Orange and Chatham counties. In 2016 she and her family moved to the Hillsborough area. 

Roberta's interest in jewelry started as a child, stringing together colorful beads. As she grew a bit, her family bought a series of sailboats. Every touristy port town had a bead shop in those days. Now she could chose her own materials and her designs got more sophisticated. In high school she had a choice between traditional art class or a crafts class splitting the year between photography and jewelry. Of course, she chose craft. Seeing her passion, her parents got her some basic tools and a torch. They also built a darkroom in the house. After high school she continued with both mediums until grad school when jewelry won out. Roberta needed to keep her hands busy, so she continued to make jewelry for friends. Once she had enough of research and made her way to North Carolina, she decided to take it to the next level.

Through friends, she fell in with the folks at Creative Metalsmith -- a gallery offering works by accomplished jewelers/metalsmiths. They took her on as an apprentice and soon her work was of a quality to be shown in their gallery. She did a lot of her work at their studio (learned a lot, too) while, over years, assembling her own studio. Roberta put her 10,000 hours in and then some.

She truly did love having relationships with the people who bought her jewelry. That was fully equally to the act of making her work. Having the opportunity to sell directly to the wearer, to pass a piece along, was very important to her and it meant something to most people who now wear her jewelry. 

Absolutely devoted to her callings, Roberta never stopped learning and improving. For thirty+ years she practiced yoga daily. She had a lifetime of swimming laps and ten years ago she began her Qigong practice. She also took time to help others. A born teacher and mentor, she is remembered both as a favorite yoga instructor and art mentor/teacher. For some, Roberta was their go-to when they needed advice from a very wise person. 

All will remember her for talents, her quick mind and those rambling stories. Just when you wondered if she had lost the thread, she would bring it full circle and sew it up for the crowd that had gathered around her. Let's not forget her ability to connect with people. Roberta would have great conversations with people from all walks of life and was always ready to meet them wherever they are.

And who could forget her food, yet another art form. As in everything she did, 100% percent confident in the kitchen. This lady read cookbooks for fun. From one pot meals on the woodstove to elaborate, all day cooking affairs, Roberta could do it all. A true natural too. Often a recipe in a book was just an inspiration. She would make it her own (if that's what was needed) and then rewrite it how it should be.

In 2009 Roberta married Steve, her squeeze of the previous ten years. They had a great life together raising packs of dogs (cats too), playing hooky for mid-week beach trips and selling her work on the weekends. 

Roberta leaves behind her husband Steve Cote, her parents Bob and Jeanne Marasca of Lexington, Ma, her sister Stephanie Henry (Eric) of Berlin Ma, her in-laws, six nieces and nephews and groups of women who are beyond friends. They are really her sisters.

Roberta's family extends a much deserved thank-you to the UNC Cancer Hospital and to UNC Hospice for their care. 

A memorial for the spring of 2026 will be announced soon.