Dede Robertson, born Adelia Elmer (1927–2022), was an American author, nurse and evangelical Christian activist who is best known as the wife of televangelist Pat Robertson. Yet that single description undersells her. She was a trained nurse, a former fashion model, a published writer, a founding board member of the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and a delegate on an international commission. This biography follows her life from childhood in Columbus, Ohio, to her final years in Virginia Beach. It also separates documented facts from speculation, so readers who want clear answers about her age, family, career and legacy can find them in one place.
Dede Robertson at a Glance: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Adelia Elmer |
| Born | December 3, 1927, Columbus, Ohio |
| Died | April 19, 2022, Virginia Beach, Virginia (age 94) |
| Education | Ohio State University; Yale University |
| Occupations | Nurse, author, activist |
| Spouse | Pat Robertson (married 1954) |
| Notable roles | CBN secretary and board member; Regent University trustee |
| Books | My God Will Supply (1979); The New You (1984) |
Early Life and Family Background in Columbus, Ohio
Adelia Elmer was born in Columbus, Ohio, on December 3, 1927, to Ralph and Florence Elmer, who were Catholic. Reports describe her parents as middle-class Catholic Republicans, a background that gave her a traditional, faith-centered start in life. Few intimate details of her childhood appear in the public record, so this article does not invent scenes or anecdotes to fill the gaps. What the record does show is a young woman who went on to earn two university degrees, enter public competitions and build a career in nursing. Those achievements suggest that the girl from Columbus had ambitions well beyond the expectations of her time.
Catholic Roots and a Later Evangelical Conversion
Dede Robertson began life in a Catholic household, yet her adult identity became firmly evangelical Christian. She became a born-again Christian several months after her husband found his own faith. That shift is one of the most significant turning points in her biography. It changed her daily priorities, her friendships and eventually her public work. Readers who study religious history will recognize the pattern, since many mid-twentieth-century Americans moved between denominations through marriage, personal conviction or powerful spiritual experiences. In her case, the change did not remain private. It became the foundation for decades of ministry, broadcasting and service alongside her husband and the network they built together.
Education: Ohio State University and Yale
Education played a central role in the life of Dede Robertson. She graduated from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Social Administration, and she later pursued a Master’s in Nursing at Yale University. Earning an advanced degree at an Ivy League institution was an impressive accomplishment for a woman in the early 1950s, when professional opportunities for women were far more limited than today. Her nursing training also gave her practical skills in health and caregiving. Those skills later informed her writing on healthy living. Alongside her studies, she worked as a fashion model and competed in the Miss Ohio contest, which shows a confident, multifaceted young woman.
How Dede Robertson Met Pat Robertson at Yale
The couple met at Yale University in 1952. On paper, they seemed an unlikely match. She came from a Catholic, Republican family in Ohio, while her future husband was the son of a Southern Baptist, Democratic U.S. senator. Differences in region, denomination and politics did not prevent a relationship from forming. At the time, Pat Robertson was pursuing a path that included law and politics, and he had not yet become the religious broadcaster the public later knew. The meeting at Yale therefore marks the start of a partnership that would reshape American religious media over the following decades.
Marriage in 1954 and Raising a Family
Dede Robertson married Pat Robertson in 1954. The couple went on to have four children, including Gordon Robertson, who later became president and CEO of CBN. Family sat at the center of her identity. Speaking after her death, her son said “Mom was the glue that held the Robertson family together.” That description captures the role many people associated with her: the steady presence behind a very public ministry. Her marriage lasted nearly seven decades, from 1954 until her death in 2022, and it became one of the best-known partnerships in American evangelical life.
A Spiritual Awakening and Faith Journey
Faith transformed the Robertson household. Her husband had been interested in politics until he found religion, she told The Associated Press in 1987. As his convictions deepened, hers followed within months. For Dede Robertson, this was not an abstract change of belief. It affected where the family lived, how they spent their money and what they believed their purpose to be. Looking back, she described the early years as a period of testing, adjustment and reliance on prayer. That spiritual foundation explains many later decisions, including the sacrifices the family made when they chose ministry over a conventional career path and a comfortable lifestyle.
Life in the Bedford-Stuyvesant Commune
One of the most striking chapters of her story took place in Brooklyn. The family moved into a commune in Bedford-Stuyvesant because Pat Robertson said God had told him to sell his possessions and minister to the poor. Press accounts describe the commune as infested with cockroaches, which hints at how difficult conditions were for a young mother raising children. Her nursing background and practical temperament likely mattered in such a setting, although the sources do not describe her daily routine in detail. This period is often remembered as a test of faith, and it shows the level of commitment she brought to her family’s calling.
From a Small Portsmouth Station to the Birth of CBN
The next turning point came in Virginia. Pat Robertson later said he heard God tell him to buy a small television station in Portsmouth, Virginia, which would grow into a global religious broadcasting network. That station became the Christian Broadcasting Network, better known as CBN. The early years of a fledgling broadcaster are rarely easy, and the Robertson family had limited resources at the start. Dede Robertson was part of that foundation from the beginning, supporting the mission at home and, soon afterward, within the organization’s formal leadership. Today, CBN reaches audiences far beyond Virginia, a scale that few could have predicted from such modest beginnings.
Dede Robertson’s Role at CBN and Regent University
Her contribution to CBN was official as well as personal. She served as secretary and a member of the Board of Directors of CBN from 1960, and she also served on the Board of Trustees at Regent University. These were substantive governance roles that tied her to both a broadcasting ministry and an academic institution. Her son went further in his tribute, saying that without his mother CBN would not exist. While such a statement reflects a family perspective, it underlines how closely colleagues and relatives linked her to the network’s survival. She is therefore remembered as a founding board member rather than merely a spouse in the background.
Service on the Inter-American Commission of Women
Her public work extended beyond broadcasting. From 1982 to 1990, she served as the principal United States delegate to the Inter-American Commission of Women. The commission is an international body that addresses women’s issues across the Americas, so the appointment placed her in diplomatic and policy settings quite different from a television studio. It also shows that Dede Robertson held responsibilities of her own, separate from her husband’s ministry. The eight-year span of her service suggests sustained involvement rather than a ceremonial title. For readers researching her career, this role is among the clearest examples of her work as an activist and representative on the national stage.
Books by Dede Robertson: My God Will Supply and The New You
Writing was another strand of her career. She published books including My God Will Supply (1979) and The New You (1984), the latter focused on healthy living. The first title reflects the faith-centered outlook that shaped her family’s story, while the second draws on her nursing education and her interest in wellness. Together they show a writer who combined spiritual themes with practical, everyday guidance for readers. Her autobiography, mentioned in press coverage, also shared candid reflections on marriage and motherhood. Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Dede Robertson can turn to these writings, which offer her own voice rather than secondhand summaries.
Her Views on Home, Work and Marriage
Her autobiography offers an honest glimpse into her private struggles. She recalled bridling at staying at home and noted that her husband refused to help around the house. That admission is notable, because it shows she did not present her life as free of tension. She also said that women should not work outside the home while their children are young unless they must. Readers may agree or disagree with that view, and it remains part of the public record. Presenting both her frustrations and her stated beliefs gives a fuller, fairer picture of a woman who spoke plainly about family life.
Campaigning in the 1988 Presidential Race
Pat Robertson later ran for president of the United States in 1988, and his wife campaigned by his side. Campaigning meant travel, public appearances and constant scrutiny, which was a demanding environment for any family. For Dede Robertson, it also meant stepping into the political world that her husband had once been drawn to before his religious conversion. Her presence on the trail reinforced the image of a united family and a shared mission. Although the campaign did not result in a presidency, it remains one of the most visible moments in her public life and an important part of the Robertson family’s story.
Later Years and Death in Virginia Beach
In her later decades, Dede Robertson remained connected to the ministry and the community she had helped build. She died on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at her home in Virginia Beach, as announced by the network in a statement. The network did not provide a cause of death, and she was 94 years old. Pat Robertson himself died on June 8, 2023, at the age of 93, a little over a year after her passing. Their long marriage thus ended much as it began, with the two lives closely intertwined. Her funeral and memorial details were handled privately by the family, and readers should rely on official CBN announcements for any further information.
The Legacy of Dede Robertson
Her legacy rests on several pillars: a long marriage, four children, a founding role at CBN, service at Regent University, work with the Inter-American Commission of Women and published books on faith and health. Public figures tied to religious broadcasting often draw strong reactions, both admiring and critical, and this article simply reports the documented facts rather than judging them. What is difficult to dispute is the scale of the institutions she helped support. Her family credits her with holding everything together, and colleagues in the ministry have echoed that view. For many readers, Dede Robertson represents the quieter partner whose work enabled a very visible public mission.
Conclusion
Dede Robertson lived a life that moved from a Catholic home in Columbus, Ohio, through Ohio State and Yale, into a marriage with Pat Robertson and a ministry that grew into a global network. She was a nurse, author, board member, delegate and mother of four. Her story also includes a hard season in a Brooklyn commune, a presidential campaign and nearly seven decades of marriage. She died at 94 in Virginia Beach on April 19, 2022. While some details of her private life remain unrecorded, the documented facts show a woman whose influence reached well beyond the background role often assigned to her.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who was Dede Robertson?
She was an American author, nurse and evangelical Christian activist, and the wife of televangelist Pat Robertson.
2. How old was Dede Robertson when she died?
She was 94. She died on April 19, 2022, at her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
3. Where was Dede Robertson born and educated?
She was born in Columbus, Ohio, on December 3, 1927. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Ohio State University and studied nursing at Yale University.
4. When did Dede Robertson marry Pat Robertson?
They met at Yale in 1952 and married in 1954.
5. What books did Dede Robertson write?
Her published works include My God Will Supply (1979) and The New You (1984), which focuses on healthy living.
6. What was Dede Robertson’s role at CBN?
She served as secretary and a board member of the Christian Broadcasting Network from 1960, and she is described as a founding board member.
7. How many children did Dede Robertson have?
She had four children, including Gordon Robertson, who serves as president and CEO of CBN.
