Roberta Deanne Bechtel

Roberta (Goffinet) Bechtel, 71, of Bloomington, Indiana, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2024. She was born on November 2, 1952, to Martha E. (Hart) and Robert H. Goffinet at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana. Roberta graduated from Shoals Community High School with the class of 1970. Roberta proudly served the Navy for over thirty years of employment at NSWC Crane, starting as a File Clerk in 1980 and retiring as a Logistics Management Specialist in 2010. Roberta was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception in Shoals for thirty years. She was then a parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bramble for twenty years. And lastly, Roberta was a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Bloomington until her passing. Roberta is survived by her beloved husband of over 41 years, Joe Bechtel. Roberta’s life was blessed with her daughter Marti (Albaugh) Leslie, her husband Jay Leslie, and their children Lauren and Jacob Leslie; and her son Matthew Albaugh, his wife Jessica Albaugh, and their children Ellen and Kate Albaugh. Roberta was also blessed by her two step-daughters, Anita (Bechtel) Montalone, her children Adrienne and Carson Montalone, and their father, Joe Montalone; and Karla (Bechtel) Hawk, her husband Steve Hawk, and their children Evan, Ethan, and Emily. Roberta is also survived by the father of her children, Tom Albaugh. Roberta was an avid reader, painter, and collector of antiques – delighting more in the hunt than the actual possession of her cherished collectables. Roberta loved traveling, exploring vast expanses of the United States on long road trips, overseas trips to Europe, and on cruises. Roberta relished celebrating the successes and accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was a diligent follower of local and national politics – a highlight being the time she met (and hugged) then presidential candidate Barack Obama. Roberta had a keen interest in genealogy and her family roots: collecting pictures, stories, and backgrounds of her ancestors. Roberta loved the Christmas season, showering family with gifts and savoring in the annual “Dirty Santa” gift exchange among family. Birthday and holiday cards were her specialty: she never missed sending cards out, and they always arrived days—even weeks—before the allotted time. Her family will miss her dearly. Roberta truly believed in the old adage that a person dies three deaths: the first is when the body ceases to function, the second is when the body is consigned to the grave, and the third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time. Her favorite gospel parable was that of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke: “Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. Then the celebration began.” The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Greenwood) and the IU Health Bloomington Hospice House for the wonderful care of their wife, mother, and grandmother. Allen Funeral Home has been entrusted with providing Roberta’s cremation services. Her remains will be buried near those of her parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins at the Springhill Cemetery in Shoals.

Tributes

Roberta Deanne Bechtel

November 2, 1952 - March 3, 2024