It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Robert Harkness on June 4, 2024, his 64th wedding anniversary.  Born in Detroit, Michigan on May 9, 1932, Robert attended Cooley High School, where he was on the football team.  When his teachers suggested that trade school might be a better fit for him, his mother was having none of it, and off he went to Michigan State College (as it was known then).  There, he met lifelong friends through the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, a group of Uncles and Aunts who created a vibrant extended family of close, close friends.  After graduation, he served in the US Army as a lieutenant in the military police, and ultimately became a lawyer, earning his law degree at the Detroit College of Law.  He was an active member of the Michigan Bar for over 50 years, practicing in his own firm and as a sole practitioner.

​Robert married Patricia Krause in 1960, and they settled in the Lafayette Park neighborhood of Detroit.  Robert became active in the Detroit Athletic Club, particularly in the Tuesday night bowling league.  Later, they moved to Farmington Hills and then Southfield.  They spent their summers and many winter weekends Up North in their cabin on Big Lake, near Gaylord.  Captain Bob was often at that helm of the family's Viking motorboat during around-the-lake cocktail cruises, with one of a handful of eight-track tapes playing as the soundtrack to these voyages. When he retired Up North, Robert could not sit still and was elected as the Township Supervisor of Chester Township and then an Otsego County Commissioner.

​In 2016, Robert fully retired and broke up with winter by moving to St. Augustine, Florida.  He later relocated closer to family and spent his later years in the Boston area, near his daughter, Colleen, and most of his grandchildren.

​Bob and Pat (as their friends often called them) raised three children – Tim, Colleen and Luke – who chose to live in far flung places like New York, Connecticut, Wyoming and Boston.  No matter where their kids went, Bob and Pat would visit often and were active in the lives of their grandchildren.  Bob and Pat also knew and were close to many of their children's friends, which brought joy at the family's many celebrations and comfort during difficult times, particularly when Luke died unexpectedly in 1999.  Although relentlessly positive and forward looking, Bob and Pat never fully recovered from the heartbreak of Luke's death, but drew strength and solace from Luke's friends who remained steadfastly loving throughout the remainder of Bob and Pat's life.

Robert went by many names: Robert, Bob, Hark, Uncle Bob, UB, Uncle Robert, Grandfather Bob, and Dad.  He was known for his extensive yet tight network of friends, his penchant for finding the fun in life, and his devotion to his children and grandchildren. His crew of friends remained in close contact for over 80 years and were cherished sources of fun and love throughout Robert's life.  One could always rely on Robert for a humorous story told with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.  Perhaps his favorite activity later in life was spending time with his grandchildren and learning about their many adventures.

Travel was another hallmark of Robert's life.  He lived in Weisbaden, Germany, during his military service, and was in Vienna the day the Allied troops ended their post-World War II occupation of the city.  (True to form, after his MP unit ensured that no US troops remained in Vienna, he changed into civilian clothes and headed back into town to enjoy the party.)  Bob and Pat were known for family road trips, including a few cross-country treks and the 1976 East Coast trip that introduced the family to Boston, New York and Philadelphia.  He enjoyed visiting Ireland (where he made sure to kiss the Blarney Stone and made friends in pubs across the country, which surprises absolutely no one who knew him), had a favorite pub in London (The Grenadier), and went on an epic three-month trip to Australia when he was in his 70s.

​Robert was a man of simple and easily understood tastes.  An inventory of his home tells the tale.  In his later years, his apartment had a collection of cashmere vests, a tweed hat, an antique clock, dozens of pictures of his family, and a comfortable chair where he enjoyed mystery novels, crossword puzzles and watching his beloved Tigers and Lions.  He also had 19 corkscrews -- because one never knows where one might need to open a bottle of wine, so it is important to have the proper utensils on hand wherever the need arises.

Robert is survived by two of his children and their spouses, Tim and Lisa Harkness and Colleen and Robert Calhoun, as well as six grandchildren: Tyler, Katherine, Matthew and Caroline Harkness and Mary Grace and Patricia Ann Calhoun.  He was predeceased by his wife, Patricia, his son, Luke, and his grandson, David Luke Harkness.

​Robert will be laid to rest with Pat and Luke atop Signal Mountain in the Teton National Park in Wyoming.  A memorial service has yet to be planned.

For those wishing to remember Robert, the most fitting tribute would be to spend a bit of extra time with family and friends, perhaps with a glass of pinot noir.  Donations in his memory can be made to the Vermont Food Bank -- Home - Vermont Foodbank (vtfoodbank.org).