If you’ve ever driven by the Salem Municipal Course on Academy Street and were surprised to see a motorized golf cart navigating the terrain, most likely that was Yogi Roberts.
Hugh “Yogi” Roberts passed away at the age of 81 on the 7th of this month after a short battle with kidney problems. He was still a regular at the Salem Municipal Course up until last summer and he was one of those characters that make Salem a fun place to live.
A graduate of Andrew Lewis High School, Yogi was a member of the Roberts family who owned Lakeside Amusement Park. He was a long time employee of Hart Motor Company and was involved in all kinds of sports in Salem. He loved football, be it Andrew Lewis or Salem High, and probably played more rounds of golf at the Municipal Course than anyone. He could putt on those difficult sand “greens” like no one else.
But that’s not what made Yogi a memorable person. He could spin a tale about just about anything and he wasn’t afraid to drag it out to play it for all it was worth. He always had a warm greeting and a smile and a comment or question about some sports related thing.
Yogi was one of the first people I met when I started working here. He would bring me the fast pitch softball standings to put in the paper and we were friends for over 50 years, and many knew him longer than that.
If you knew him you’ll never forget him. He was Salem through and through and proud of it.
