Robert was an amazingly talented young man. He could carve a beautiful walking cane out of an old tree limb. He could take an old piece of metal and craft a one-of-a-kind knife blade, then add a deer antler handle and put it in a handmade leather sheath. Robert loved to work with his hands. He was a master of old-time arts, like carving needles out of animal bones, forging metal into useful objects and making what he needed out of what he had.
As a young child, Robert would often say when he grew up he wanted to “Live off the Fat of the Land.” Robert had a very green thumb. He loved plants and was very knowledgeable about wild plants that most people considered weeds. Robert was born about 200 years too late. He would have been right at home as a frontiersman or pioneer homesteader.
Robert had an abundance of charisma, charm, and the gift of gab. He never met a stranger and could charm the skin off a snake. Robert was generous and loved to help people. He loved animals, especially birds and baby rabbits. As a child, he would bring home injured baby bunnies and nurse them back to health. Robert loved children and took great pleasure in talking to them about nature and showing them how to make things. Robert loved his family and friends. He was a people person. Robert was so proud of his little girl.
Robert was very intelligent and knowledgeable about numerous topics. He was proud of his Celtic and Native American heritage. He loved to craft bows and arrows and would collect feathers to use for the arrows, as his Cherokee ancestors did before him. Robert had a Scottish kilt and made himself a chain-mail headpiece and vest. He loved to wear this outfit. Not sure what his neighbors thought, but Robert loved it.
Robert was his own unique, quirky, wonderful personality. There wasn’t a boundary he wouldn’t push or a topic he wouldn’t debate. Robert was not your average Joe Citizen, and he knew he wasn’t. Robert never tried to fit in just for the sake of fitting in. He was true to himself and could never be a phony person.
Robert loved to entertain and was a gifted actor. He would create humorous characters complete with story lines and voices to fit the character, such as Jim Dandy, the southern gentleman or Sven the Swedish masseuse. Rob loved to dance around, sing and play his guitar.
Robert believed in God and knew he was a precious child of God. Robert often said he did not understand how people could say there was no God, as there was proof all around us. Robert also believed in the power of prayer and was known to ask his mother and grandmother to pray for him.
Robert lives on in the heart of those who loved him and will never be forgotten.
