In Loving Memory of Barnaby Roberts, Former Head of School

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Barnaby John Roberts, Head of School for Moravian Academy from 1998 to 2007, who passed away peacefully on August 4, 2026, at the age of 84. Barnaby led our school with warmth, wit, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every student, and his impact on our community endures nearly two decades after his retirement.

 

Barnaby was born in England in 1942 and educated at Cambridge and Oxford before immigrating to the United States, where he built a career devoted entirely to young people. He began as a teacher at St. Christopher's in Alexandria, Virginia, later served as Assistant Headmaster of St. Stephen's School, and went on to lead schools in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City before arriving at Moravian Academy in 1999. He and his beloved wife of 56 years, Betsy, had planned to stay only a few years — but they came to treasure the school and this community so deeply that they remained until his retirement in 2007.

 

Those who knew Barnaby remember a Head of School who made it his business to learn every student's name, who could be found on the sidelines of games and in the audience at performances, and who, despite a well-known disdain for meetings, always made time for a student who needed counsel. He brought the same care to his faculty and staff, and the same enthusiasm to every corner of campus life, from academics to the very buildings and grounds he helped shape. His laugh, his stubbornness, and his devotion to this school will be remembered by everyone who had the honor of knowing him.

 

Barnaby was preceded in death by Betsy in 2024. He is survived by his daughter Arianne Roberts and her wife Sara, his daughter Amanda Davis and her husband Cliff, his grandson Adrian Davis, and his brother Henry Roberts.

 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM, at the Merle-Smith Campus, Dyer Auditorium. Members of the Moravian Academy community are warmly invited to attend and celebrate a life so devoted to this school and its students. His full obituary can be read here: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/barnaby-roberts-obituary?id=62183673

 

Our deepest sympathies go out to Barnaby's family, friends, and the many generations of students and colleagues whose lives he shaped. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the  Barnaby Roberts Fund. May his memory continue to inspire the curiosity, kindness, and community he worked so hard to build.