Roberta Amanda Zylich Obituary (1943 - 2020)

Roberta Robbi Amanda (Merrill) Zylich, 76, a longtime Chelmsford resident, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 27, 2020 at her Chelmsford home surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was the beloved wife of Ronald Ron George Zylich with whom she shared 52 years of marriage. She was born on June 12, 1943, in Sayre, PA, and was a daughter of the late Howard A. and Hazel (Whytock) Merrill of Nichols, NY. Robbi was raised in Nichols, NY and was a graduate of Tioga Central High School with the Class of 1961. After earning her Associates Degree, she worked for IBM until her marriage to Ron on March 16, 1968. After her marriage, she worked for the chairman of the Physics Department at the University of Missouri-Rolla, until she and Ron moved to Chelmsford in 1971 to raise their family. She enjoyed gardening, crafting, reading, mahjong, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family at her winter home on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Most of all, Robbi cherished the time she spent with her family, especially time with Ron and her grandchildren at her summer home on Bow Lake in Strafford, NH. In addition to her loving husband, Roberta leaves her sons; Steven Zylich and his wife Lori of Woodbridge, VA, Michael Zylich and his wife Melissa of E. Sandwich, and Kristopher Zylich and his wife Ashley of Wayland, her grandchildren; Brian, Julie, Sean, Mikayla, Nathan, Meghan, Haley, Whitney, and Drew, her siblings; Howard "Bud" Merrill and his wife Constance "Connie" of Avondale, AZ, and Janette Jan Szelkowski and her husband Frank of High Point, NC. She also leaves many nieces and nephews. Sadly, she is predeceased by her sister Rosemary Pierce. A Celebration of her Life will be held privately. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Roberta's name to PanCan (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network), 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Ste 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or pancan.org. A Celebration of her Life will be held privately.