I’m Sonny Roberts, father of Jerry Roberts, who died in the plane crash on Dec. 10, 2006. I raised Jerry from the time he turned 5 years old until he reached the 11th-grade. He then wanted to live with his grandma Roberts because he thought I was too strict. Maybe I was, but I did what I thought was best.

During his school days, I never missed a ball game, even if it was baseball or football. I traveled to all his games wherever they were. When he finished school, he enlisted in the Army and who did he call for help? It was his father. I would talk to him and encourage him to do the best that he could.

I even moved his wife and son to Georgia when he was stationed out there. I also gave him money when he had to go overseas, and I let him call me collect from Germany.

Jerry’s stepmother Bobbie Roberts, half brother Hardy A. Roberts, stepsisters Sissy Lassiter and Angela Roberts, nephews Dustin, Steven and Eric and I are proud of Jerry’s success at what he did for the town of Vidalia and the way he helped coach and tried to show the ball players how to do their best. He also made a very good school board member for the parish he represented.