ROBERT DAVID TARTE

Robert David Tarte (Bob) left this world Friday evening, Sept. 29, 2023 at the age of 84. He lived a full life, relishing family, friends, travel, education, sports... and if you knew Bob, you knew craft beer could not be left out of his list of favorite things.

Bob was born to Dorothy (Shedd) and Louis Tarte on April 6, 1939, the middle of three sons, in Flint, MI. The family moved to Traverse City for a short time, then relocated to Saginaw where Bob grew up, experiencing something of a Leave-it-to-be-aver childhood. In early junior high school, he was the tallest player on the basketball team - until he quit growing. Recognizing that a basketball career was not in his future, he decided to direct his attention to his studies. That he did, graduating from Arthur Hill High School as valedictorian in 1957. He then made one of the best and defining decisions of his life, choosing to spend his next four years at Alma College, in Alma, MI. As a small liberal arts college, Alma presented opportunities for Bob to truly delve into his interest in psychology and math, including actively participating in research with his professors and attending professional conferences with them. The impact of meeting B. F. Skinner at one such conference would stay with him throughout his life. His entire Alma experience remained one of his most treasured. He graduated from Alma cum laude in 1961. It was at Alma that Bob met his first wife, Judy. They married in 1962 and moved to Ann Arbor, MI, where Bob began graduate school at the University of Michigan. He received his PHD in experimental psychology in 1964 and began working as a Research Psychologist at the University Center for Language and Research. He continued all his life to love anything Michigan, especially Go Blue football and basketball. Daughter Jennifer Amanda was born November 13, 1968, and the family moved to Las Vegas in 1969, where Bob began a fifteen year career as Professor of Psychology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. During his tenure, he served for a time as Chair of the Psychology Department and as President of the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association. He and his family also enjoyed his sabbaticals, living for a time in both Prague and Melbourne, Australia.

In 1982, Bob changed career paths, and at age 41, began studies at UCLA Law School, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1985. He spent the next five years practicing law in Los Angeles. During this period, he reconnected with an old Las Vegas friend, Marsha Hudgins; they married in 1988 and returned to Las Vegas in 1991. There, he joined the law firm of Brown Busby Chrisman and Thomas, where he remained until he retired at age 65. Not one to remain idle, he created

RDT Law to keep his fingers in the legal world and, for the following ten years, he served as Arbitrator in a multitude of cases. He finally fully retired at age 76, when he received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Bob delighted in hosting and visiting and enjoyed frequent travel, both domestically and internationally, with Marsha. Their network of family and loved ones was extensive, and Bob loved to keep up with old friends. He always enjoyed a good restaurant, good music and a good beer, not necessarily in that order. He believed firmly in liberal causes, particularly the value of free speech and social justice and, together with Marsha, was a generous contributor to and advocate of Las Vegas' legal and social services communities.

Bob accepted his diagnosis with grace, and his decline was blessedly slow. As he had done all his life, he always had a book by his side and was quick to joke about and find humor in almost anything. He and Marsha moved in 2020 to Cumberland, MD, to be close to her daughter and family, and these last years found him to be perhaps happier than he'd ever been. He delighted in life's simple joys while looking out the sunroom window at the birds, chipmunks, bunnies and deer and repeated over and over that he had the greatest life. In his final days, he particularly enjoyed his relationship with 4year old granddaughter Emily, who called him Baba.

Bob is survived by his wife of 35 years, Marsha; his brother Dick Tarte of Las Vegas; his beloved daughter J Benway of Olympia, WA and grandson Alex Folkerth of Oceanside, NY ( both of whom followed in his footsteps and became attorneys); Alex's wife Trudy and their two sons Hudson and Theo, who are his great grandsons; his stepdaughter, Caitlin, her husband Dave and their daughter Emily of Ridgeley, WV; and his ex-wife and friend, Judy of Las Vegas. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Louis.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Bob's name to Scot Scholarship Fund, Alma College, 614 West Superior St., Alma, MI 48801.

Services will be held on Monday, Oct. 30 at 11am, Christ Church Episcopal, 2000 S. Maryland Parkway. Reception to follow.