Longtime Yorktown Town Clerk Alice Roker has died

YORKTOWN, N.Y. —Alice Roker, who served as the face of Town Hall as Yorktown’s Town Clerk for a quarter-century, passed away Monday afternoon at Phelps Memorial Hospital after “a hard and long battle” with illness, Town Clerk Diana Quast announced in an email. She was 77.

Roker dedicated 30 years of service to Yorktown, holding various roles, including  town supervisor, councilwoman, town clerk for 25 years, and town historian. She was the first Black person in Yorktown’s history to hold a town government seat.

In addition to her elected positions, Roker served on numerous committees and community boards, playing a pivotal role in many of the town’s key achievements, such as securing grants to build the Archives and Records Center.

At a Town Board meeting last week, Supervisor Ed Lachterman officially named the Archives and Records Center the “Alice E. Roker Archives and Records Center” in honor of her lasting contributions to the town.

“With Alice, it wasn’t about political party—it was about Yorktown,” Lachterman said at the Feb. 4 meeting. “She’s been inspirational to a lot of us. God bless her.”

“Words can’t describe how much I will miss her,” Quast wrote. “She lit up every room with her smile and always knew how to make people laugh and feel comfortable. She treated everyone with respect and compassion. The residents of Yorktown were lucky to have her as their elected representative for over 30 years.”

Quast added, “Alice touched many lives, and we’re devastated to have to break this news. Alice was well-loved and will be missed by many.”

Details about services will be shared once more information is available, Quast said.

“Thank you to everyone who was a good friend to Alice,” she added. “I am forever grateful for the impact she made on my life and so many others.”

Alice Roker was the former wife of NBC News personality Al Roker.

In a statement to the community on Tuesday, Lachterman called Roker one of Yorktown's “leading and most beloved citizens.” 

He added that, “her death is a loss for the community she loved and enthusiastically supported. I first got to know Alice in her role as Town Clerk. Not only did she swear me in when I was first elected as a Councilman, but she signed my marriage license. I then had the pleasure of serving with her on the Town Board. And while we were in opposite parties, I found her to be sensible, reasonable and willing to compromise. With Alice, there was never a question as to her determination to put the best interests of the residents first. Even after she retired from elected office, Alice offered sound guidance to me and many others.” 

On behalf of the town, Lachterman extended condolences to the Roker family, and thanked them “for sharing this special woman with all of us.” As a gesture of respect, he ordered flags in town to be flown at half-staff in her memory. “May Alice Roker rest in peace.”