Nearly every morning, I would see Bob walk out to his car, usually dry cleaning and briefcase in hand. Sometimes, I would call out from across the way, "Aren't you retired yet?!" Bob would laugh and say, "eh, I'm working at it" - or "I'm getting there" - or "who has time for retirement?!"

 

I've known Bob for nearly 10 years, and even his apartment manager couldn't hide from his love of academia and personal quest to ensure the world was highly educated. While those talks were limited to minutes at a time, Bob always made sure that I was following whatever path I wanted to be on, and that it was perfectly fine to fence sit and enjoy my station in life; as long as I followed whatever it was I wanted to "be when I grew up". (However, graduate school was mandatory) Conversely, I would ask Bob what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would tell me he hadn't figured that out yet. I think we both settled on being career students for life. There was rarely a place I saw him not interacting in some form of learning or teaching, whether that be at Willamette, our community, or the local coffee shop.

 

Semi-retired or not, Bob's true passion was his students. Hearing these amazing stories from his colleagues and students reaffirms why Bob never really left Willamette. His students were his inspiration. While you may have sought Bob's insight, advice and encouragement at some point, or like me wanting a continuous IV of random information about the world from a true intellectual; Bob needed us just as much.  Because of Bob, the formal and the countless numbers of informal students gained a better grasp on the world, however his students MADE his world complete.

 

Bob will be missed greatly by our community.

 

Melodie Atkinson

WOU Alumni 2009