Corrie W. Roberts, 86, talented cook, baker and seamstress.

CORRIE ROBERTS thought nothing of riding multiple public-transit routes to outlying areas of the city, taking numerous transfers, to get the right gift or treat to a friend.

"She was always passionate about helping and giving to others," her family said.

Although life wasn't always easy for Corrie, she never let multiple illnesses interfere with the pursuit of her many talents and the need to show her children the finer things of life.

Corrie Vermell Gillespie Wolfe Roberts, a businesswoman, seamstress and knitter, and adventurous cook, died Nov. 15. She was 86 and living in the Simpson House, on Belmont Avenue, and formerly lived in the Kennedy House, on John F. Kennedy Boulevard near 19th Street.

Corrie was born in Columbia, S.C., to Lillian Allie Gillespie and Ialous Denial Wolfe. Her parents died when she was a child and her aunt, Viola "Vi" Gillespie Gripper, and uncle, Lawrence Gillespie, raised her in New York City.

After Corrie married James S. Roberts on March 29, 1958, she and her husband moved to Philadelphia.

She held a number of administrative positions with Planned Parenthood and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

After her two children were born, she and a friend started a business, baking and selling cheesecakes to local restaurants. They often used their children to help deliver the cakes to customers in Center City.

Corrie also held jobs with some of her customers, including the Fish Market, the Commissary, USA Cafe and the Art Alliance.

"Corrie was not just a great baker, but also an amazing cook and glamorous hostess," her family said. "Daily meals were always full of fresh ingredients and flavor, with her Southern roots evident in many dishes."

She also didn't hesitate to be experimental, bringing unique and different flavors from other regions and countries - "often to the chagrin of her family, who were not nearly as adventurous when it came to food."

"She threw wonderful parties in the art-filled apartment at Kennedy House that went into the wee hours."

Thanksgiving was a special occasion - a "true event," as her family put it. "The apartment held as many people as possible and the table groaned under the weight of so many dishes, and everyone had a full bag of leftovers for which they were truly thankful."

Corrie was a wizard with needle and thread. She made her own clothes when younger, and as her children grew she made their Halloween costumes, party dresses and special-occasion outfits.

"A perfectionist to a fault with her work, her breathtakingly complex and beautiful quilts grace the beds and walls of many friends and family members," her family said.

"Corrie was known for her fierce and independent spirit and her unwavering support and care for family and friends. Breast cancer, a double knee replacement, back surgery and being almost blind in one eye did not slow her down."

She tried to give her children as broad an education in the finer things of life as she could afford, including ballet classes and music lessons, and attending the theater in Philadelphia and New York.

Corrie was a charter member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Moles, a social and philanthropic organization with 30 chapters in 16 states and the District of Columbia. She was also a member of the Quaker City Stitchers and Quilters of the Round Table, and the Arch Street Presbyterian Church.

Her husband died in 2006. She is survived by a daughter, Jill, and a son, Jimmy.

Services: Were Friday. Donations may be made to the Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club, 14 Kelly Drive Boathouse Row, Philadelphia, 19130, or Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, Donor Services, 100 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, 19106.