Lillian Roberts

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Lillian Roberts

American union leader

January 1, 1928 - July 9, 2026 (Age 98)

Source: Wikipedia public record

Lillian Davis Roberts (January 2, 1928 – 2026) served from 2002 through 2014 as the executive director of District Council 37 (DC37), the largest municipal union in New York City.

Known forAmerican union leader
Age98
DiedJuly 9, 2026
SourceWikipedia public record

Memorial record summary

About this obituary

Lillian Davis Roberts (January 2, 1928 – 2026) served from 2002 through 2014 as the executive director of District Council 37 (DC37), the largest municipal union in New York City. Lillian Roberts died on July 9, 2026. This memorial record includes life dates, public details, and ways for family, friends, and readers to add memories.

Died
July 9, 2026
Record basis
Public record (Wikipedia): Lillian Roberts
Details
174 words · enhanced profile

Life and legacy

Obituary

Lillian Roberts, 98, died on July 9, 2026. Lillian Roberts was known publicly as an American union leader. Lillian Davis Roberts (January 2, 1928 – 2026) served from 2002 through 2014 as the executive director of District Council 37 (DC37), the largest municipal union in New York City. Roberts was a nurse's aide, and was secretary of the University of Chicago Hospital local when she was invited by Victor Gotbaum to join his AFSCME union staff in Chicago in 1959. This began a professional relationship between Gotbaum and Roberts that lasted for decades. When Gotbaum became head of DC37, Roberts joined him in New York as a director of hospital field operations, and eventually became Associate Director in charge of organization. In 1969, she was jailed for two weeks for defying New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and leading a strike against three mental hospitals. Public biographical listings identify Roberts as an American union leader. This public record remains centered on Roberts's work as an American union leader and the documented milestones of that career.

Timeline

Key moments

  1. 1928
    Lillian Davis Roberts served from 2002 through 2014 as the executiv...

    Lillian Davis Roberts (January 2, 1928 – 2026) served from 2002 through 2014 as the executive director of District Council 37 (DC37), the largest municipal union in New York City.

  2. 1959
    Roberts was a nurse's aide

    Roberts was a nurse's aide, and was secretary of the University of Chicago Hospital local when she was invited by Victor Gotbaum to join his AFSCME union staff in Chicago in 1959.

  3. 1969
    In 1969, she was jailed for two weeks for defying New York Governor...

    In 1969, she was jailed for two weeks for defying New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and leading a strike against three mental hospitals.

  4. 1981
    In 1981, after events which decreased her power in DC37, she left t...

    In 1981, after events which decreased her power in DC37, she left the union and was appointed as New York State industrial commissioner, the first black woman to hold such a high post in New York.

  5. 1987
    From 1987 to 1992, she was senior vice president of Total Health Sy...

    From 1987 to 1992, she was senior vice president of Total Health Systems, an HMO.

  6. July 9, 2026
    Died

    Lillian Roberts died at age 98.

At a glance

What to know

Public life

This began a professional relationship between Gotbaum and Roberts that lasted for decades.

Public-source record

This memorial page is built from a public-source record and expanded with structured life details, dates, and tribute tools on OfficialObituary.com. Source retrieved July 11, 2026.

  • Wikipedia · Lillian RobertsJul 11, 2026
Wikipedia · Lillian Roberts

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