Vashti M. Bristol

VASHTI MARIA BRISTOL (née Roberson) was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 21, 1923 and departed this life on January 26, 2026. She was one of six siblings born from the union of the late Reverend James H. Roberson and the late Mamie (née Chase) Roberson. Vashti had five siblings, Theresa Mason, Robert Chase (Dickie),Marjorie Veronica Jackson, William Paul, and half-sister Lucy Roberson Johnson, all of whom preceded her in death. While she was baptized at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, she became a lifetime member of New All Saints Church in Northwest Baltimore where she supported the religious and cultural activities with a passion. She was especially fond of Father Donald A. Sterling who was the pastor of the church for many years. Vashti received her early education in the Baltimore City Public School System. She also attended St. Frances Academy and Frederick Douglass High School. She married twice during her life. First, to Joseph M. Kyler (Hop) during the early 1940s. One child resulted from that union, Joseph M. Kyler, Jr. who died in infancy. Her second marriage was to Isaac Bristol (Ike) in 1964. Both marriages ended in divorce. For 47 years, Vashti held a succession of positions within the Westinghouse Corporation, now Northrop Grumman, in Linthicum, Maryland, retiring in 2003 as a Quality Control Supervisor. She was an active member of various organizations, including The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), The National Oblate Sisters of Providence Alumni Association (NOSPAA), The Mother Lange Guild, The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1805, and The Baltimore Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (BAAHGS.) She also proudly served as an Election Judge for decades. Vashti was known for her style and flair which she expressed in her clothing, jewelry, and hair, not to mention her bright red Mercedes. Although she raised no children of her own, Aunt Vashti was a surrogate parent for many of her nieces, nephews and children of her in-laws. In particular, she cared for Joyce Roberson Pearson, daughter of her brother Paul and for Michael Roberson and Rosanne Roberson Wood, children of her brother Robert. Vashti was godmother to her nephew Andrew L. Jackson, Jr. (Butch) and grandniece Constance Cooper. She also maintained a special relationship with her sister-inl-aw, Ann Douglas Woods and her children. Vashti was a devoted pet-owner of several dogs and cats which included Tiger, Pierre, Fifi, Pepe and Kitty Miss. She leaves to mourn her special cousin Peggy Wilson Day, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, friends and acquaintances.

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Vashti M. Bristol

May 21, 1923 - January 26, 2026