I was the last one with Bob...we watched the National Parks show on the TV..he had some Sprite, I held his hand for a good long while..AND he lived with me for a whole year...

I miss you! You were one of my favorite people in the world ever!
I followed you from one school to the other, your teachings, musings, and outlook is a big part of who I am today! I still remember hanging out with you and other students and friends at your place off the Lemmon av area, one of the coolest Halloweens ever. I breifly started smoking a pipe because of you. and I could always count on you giving me a pinch of Cavendish out of your pouch if I was out. Thank you! 

Bob was such a great man. I went to college because he told me I could do it and constantly encouraged me. We had so much fun sitting at Risckys BBQ in the West End trying to think of things like state capitols before the Internet. Sometimes the questions would last for days. Bob was one of a kind, I can still see his pipe in his back pocket smoking as he walked through the offices at El Centro. Bennett family, you’ll be in our thoughts and prayers. I’m glad Bob was a part of my life. Jay

Here is a link to Bob's Cook Book for anyone wanting a copy..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JEgqn2gFfB50V-pgWXnC9b1ToDx2-R0o/view?usp=sharing

In 1990-1991 while I was at El Centro I took both an Intro Philosophy and a Honors class with Bob. My friend Glenn Sands and I also worked for him in the El Centro Registrar's office. I have many fond memories of the many times Bob, one of the Counselors and a couple of us would go down to Risky's barbeque in the west end after school to have a beer or two, talk about whatever. I will post a couple of my favorite stories from those days but here is one:

On one of my last days at El Centro before I transferring to what in those days was Southwest Texas State U...he gave me some wise philosophical advice:

"Don't get any girls pregnant."

He was always supportive, a pleasure to talk with, and his sense of humor was one of a kind.

Rest in Peace Scholar...Gentleman...Friend.

P.S. I remember Bob telling us one day in the office that he was going to become Catholic...I made him a tape of some music of Hildegard von Bingen, but at the end I included a comedy song called 'The Vatican Rag." Bob looked at me and told me I was probably going to go to Hell for that.

Fast forward to last week...I was thinking of Bob (unaware that he had passed) and figured he would like to hear about my recent decision....I decided to convert to Catholicism.

Hopefully he is up there somewhere puffing on his pipe and chuckling....

forgiving our fathers
by dick lourie

maybe in a dream: he's in your power
you twist his arm but you're not sure it was
he that stole your money you feel calmer
and you decide to let him go free

or he's the one (as in a dream of mine)
I must pull from the water but I never
knew it or wouldn't have done it until
I saw the street-theater play so close up
I was moved to actions I'd never before taken

maybe for leaving us too often or
forever when we were little maybe
for scaring us with unexpected rage
or making us nervous because there seemed
never to be any rage there at all

for marrying or not marrying our mothers
for divorcing or not divorcing our mothers
and shall we forgive them for their excesses
of warmth or coldness shall we forgive them

for pushing or leaning for shutting doors
for speaking only through layers of cloth
or never speaking or never being silent

in our age or in theirs or in their deaths
saying it to them or not saying it -
if we forgive our fathers what is left

What a wonderful tribute from family. It triggered a flood of good memories of what an original Bob truly was.

As one of his students in the late-70s, Bob had a profound impact on me as I struggled to find some direction and raise a badly damaged GPA after dropping out of NTSU. From logic to Nietzsche, afternoon "faculty consults" at Tolbert's Chili Parlor to amateur night at the Kowbell, this man was a caring, remarkable educator, and a kind and generous mentor.

I passed along one of his most useful lectures to my son when he entered university, which I summarize as: a subtle approach to BS'ing your instructor into giving you a higher grade. It worked in 1978, and in 2011.

Bob, wherever you are, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you did, for me and so many others. You had an amazing run at life, eh?

Bob was an intellectual "giant." gifted instructor, and profound philosopher.
What an honor for all of us who worked with him at El Centro College.

Multi-talented, he administered the Registrar's Office, and then, could return to his philosophy classes with dedicated teaching.

He will be sorely missed. Peace and Grace to his many friends and family.

With deepest sympathy,
Bob Trotter
Instructor of Government (ret.)

I did not know Bob and reading this reveals he was amazingly accomplished and deeply loved by all the many lives he touched through his years with his wisdom and caring. May your happy memories bring you comfort and peace, even joy, remembering his most beautiful life you shared with him. A life well lived - a beautifully written tribute.