February 13, 2021, in Cordele, Georgia, of COVID-19.
Robert was born in New York City and spent his childhood in the northeast and St. Louis. At ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó, he wrote his thesis, “Humoral Modification of Contractile Activity in the Large Hermaphroditic Duct of Aplysia Californica,” advised by Prof. Stephen Arch [biology 1972–2012]. “He valued his time at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó and the fine liberal arts education he received there,” said his sister, Sandy Granville Sheehy. While at ÈËÆÞÓÕ»ó, Rob met his first spouse, Pamela B. Canty ’73. They had one son, Joseph, and lived for a time in Panama, where Robert served as a medical officer in the army.
Rob earned a medical degree from Oregon Health and Science University. As a U.S. Army colonel, he served his country in Panama, the Middle East, and at military hospitals in El Paso and San Antonio, Texas, first as a general medical officer and then as an orthopedist. He treated his patients with skill, compassion, and respect, with special empathy for soldiers suffering life-altering combat injuries.
Possessing a robust sense of humor and a vibrant, heroic approach to life, he was an avid outdoorsman and came to love southwest Georgia’s natural environment. Rob is survived by his wife, Jennie Barb; his son, Joe Granville; and his sister, Sandy.