UPS Worker Dies 13 Days Before Retirement from 44 Years on the Job
Paul Roberts had spent his entire adult life virtually working for UPS. After 44 years, retirement was finally close enough to count in days.
There were 13 left.
Roberts, 63, was struck and killed by a vehicle on Sept. 4 near a UPS facility in Earth City, Missouri. His sister, Donna Schraer, told 12News that Roberts had planned to retire after a career that began when he was 18.
St. Louis County Police responded around 9 p.m. to the 13800 block of Rider Trail North after receiving a call about a person who had been struck. Roberts died at the scene. The driver stayed and cooperated with police, according to a police account carried by RiverBender.
What caused the collision remains unclear. Police have not disclosed what happened immediately before Roberts was struck, and separate local reporting found that police had not established publicly whether he was working at the moment of the collision.
Thirteen Days
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The timing turned an already fatal collision into something particularly difficult for Roberts’ family to process.
“He loved his job. Thirteen days from retiring and he won’t get to do it,” Schraer said in the television interview. “It’s sad he’s not gonna get to celebrate.”
Roberts had moved through several jobs during his decades with UPS, beginning with package handling and later driving tractor-trailers. Schraer said her brother took the work seriously and tried to pass what he had learned to younger employees.
His life outside UPS had recently changed, too. Roberts and his longtime partner had been together for 37 years before getting married about six months before his death.
More Than Work
Schraer described her brother as someone whose identity was tied to his work without being consumed by it.
“Hard worker, hardworking family man,” she said of the legacy he left behind. “Loves his family, made it important. Jobs are one thing, but family is another thing for Paul.”
Roberts is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and other relatives, friends, and colleagues, according to People.
UPS acknowledged the death in a statement provided to local media.
“We’re aware of a tragic situation in Earth City,” the company said. “Our heartfelt thoughts are with those involved and their family.”
UPS referred further questions about the collision to police.
What Happened
For now, the circumstances that put Roberts and the vehicle in the same place remain unresolved.
St. Louis County Police said its Bureau of Crimes Against Persons and Accident Reconstruction is handling the case. The department described the investigation as active and cautioned that preliminary information could change.
