Patrick Roberson

PATRICK ANTHONY ROBERSON was born on December 11, 1950, to the late Mary M. Roberson (nee Douglas) and Robert C. Roberson, the fifth of seven children. He passed away suddenly at home on February 26, 2026. Known to family and close friends as “Tony,” Patrick attended elementary school at St. Pius Catholic School in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed his high school education in 1968 at Holy Rosary Institute, Lafayette, Louisiana, where his maternal aunt, Rosalie Douglas (then Sister Francis Regis) served as principal. He returned to Baltimore as a National Merit Scholar and attended Morgan State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. From Patrick’s first marriage in 1973, he had two children, Damon Patrick and Chara Leslie. In 1998, he married Angela Thompson and gained a stepson, Christopher. Patrick began his professional career in 1972 with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company as a Claims Supervisor, and later advanced to Claims Examiner with USF&G, where he worked from 1984 to 1986. That experience motivated him to seek a law degree. He enrolled at the University of Maryland School of Law in 1982, graduating in 1986 and passing the Maryland bar exam the same year. He then began his career as a defense attorney in workers’ compensation cases with the firm Smith, Somerville & Case, where he practiced from 1986 to 1997. In 1993, he was named partner, becoming the first African American to achieve that distinction in the firm’s then 66-year history. Following the firm’s closure in 1997, Patrick became a founding member and principal of Cornblatt, Bennett, Penhallegon and Roberson, P.A. At the time of his passing, he was a partner at Humphreys, McLaughlin and McAleer, LLC. His many professional affiliations included membership in the Maryland State and District of Columbia Bar Associations, the Bar Association of Baltimore City, the National Bar Association, and the Monumental City Bar Association, where he served two terms as president (1990-1991 and 1994-1995). He was also a member of the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Educational Association, serving as an executive board member from 1996 to 2026 and as president from 2006-2007. A consummate professional, Patrick’s extensive experience and knowledge of workers’ compensation law earned him designation each year as a Maryland Super Lawyer from 2011-2015. This honor is awarded to the top five percent of attorneys in Maryland and reflects professional achievement, peer recognition, and other distinguishing criteria. Patrick had been an active member of Beta Omega Epsilon Fraternity, Inc. since his years at Morgan State College. His charitable work was extensive, but he was especially proud to have provided pro bono legal counsel to the Oblate Sisters of Providence located in Catonsville, Maryland – the first permanent community of Black Catholic sisters in the United States, and to have served on The Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland. Patrick was a talented artist and had a passion for portraiture. He loved warm and sunny days, a good laugh – the kind that brought tears to his eyes, and he loved his family dearly. He is survived by: his wife, Angela; children, Damon and Chara; stepson, Christopher; grandson, Camren; siblings, Timothy Roberson (Cassandra), Patricia Anderson (Norman), and Mary Eileen Roberson; and half-sister, Robin Roberson. He was preceded in death by his brother Robert Michael Roberson, and his sister Cynthia Roberson and Rosanne Wood. In addition to his immediate family, he leaves to mourn his nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and a host of friends and professional associates. May he rest in eternal peace.

Tributes

Patrick Roberson

December 11, 1950 - February 26, 2026