Obituary of Alice Kay Roska
Alice Kay Roska, Ph.D., J.D., 68, passed away on November 9, 2018 at her home in Dallas, TX, with her family by her side. She was born to the late James Leon Bridges and Zoe Dean Peterson Bridges on Jan. 9, 1950, in Mount Vernon, TX. Alice Kay, who went by Kay, moved to Overton, TX with her family in her early childhood.
She graduated from Overton High School in 1968 and received her B.S. in biology with honors from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 1971. During her time at SMU, she met her husband, J. Christopher Roska, DDS, whom she married on August 5, 1972. After the wedding, Kay and Chris relocated to Milwaukee, WI to attend graduate school at Marquette University. At Marquette, Kay received three awards from the National Institutes of Health, her M.S. in biology in 1974, and her Ph.D. in immunology in 1977. Kay and Chris moved back to Dallas in 1982, and she worked as an immunological research scientist in the rheumatology department at the UT Health Science Center. In 1987, Kay made the difficult decision to change professional paths and pursue a career in law. In 1990, she graduated with a J.D. from the SMU Dedman School of Law, where she also served as the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the Southwestern Law Journal. After graduating, Kay went on to work for Thompson & Knight LLP as an environmental attorney for 25+ years and was recognized in The Best Lawyers In America ® by Woodward/White Inc. (Environmental Law) from 2008 – 2019. She was a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and the Dallas Bar Association, for which she previously served as the Chair of the Environmental Law Section. Kay was passionate about her work and was regarded as one of the top experts in her field.
In her free time, Kay loved spending time with her family, watching golf, going to SMU tailgate gatherings and football games with the SMU Dedman School of Law Alumni Association, reading mystery novels, and eating Southern food. She also loved animals and cherished her late dogs, Sunny and Emma. Kay touched many lives with her selflessness, strength, and altruism, and she was loved by all who met her. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Kay is survived by her daughter, Jessica Kay Roska of New York, NY; her brother, Blelve Leon Bridges of Overton, TX; and her loving husband, Chris. Memorial arrangements in Dallas are being made by the family and will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made at www.gofundme.com/2h23r-in-loving-memory-of-kay-roska to support the Cancer Research Institute and Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.
