He attended school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and graduated in 1941. Following graduation, he worked in a local bank as a teller and then enlisted in the US Navy from December of 1942 until 1946, serving in the South Pacific during World War II on the LST 398.
Following his military service he attended and graduated from the Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College). While at Nyack, he met his life-long partner and loving wife, Mildred Wyllie. In July of 2023, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
He later continued his education, graduating and receiving a degree from Syracuse University in 1955. He served as a pastor for the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Sydney and Geneva, New York. Following his pastorate in Geneva, he worked for New York State Welfare prior to working for the State of New York in the Department of Labor Fraud Investigation and Adjudication sections, from which he retired and moved to Florida in 1980. After his retirement, he worked as a bank teller and as an Administrator at the Christian & Missionary Alliance church where he was a member in Port Charlotte, Florida.
He later moved to Orlando and became Visitation Pastor at the church there. He retired again and moved to Good Samaritan Village where he was active in the Good Samaritan Village Church and also volunteered at Give Kids the World for over 10 years.
In 2022, he and his wife moved to Kings Mountain, North Carolina to be closer to family, living at Summit Place and worshiping at First Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife Mildred, daughter-in-law, Carla Wyllie, grandchildren Hannah Wyllie Santiago (Michael), and Robert Baxter Wyllie (Tammy), and great grandchildren Lucy Santiago, Garrett Santiago, and Stephen Wyllie, his brothers, Hugh Wyllie, Jr., and David Wyllie, as well as many nieces and nephews.
He is predeceased by his son, Stephen D. Wyllie, and his sister Evelyn Wyllie Ashman.
A visitation for Robert will be held Tuesday, January 16, 2024 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at First Baptist Church, 605 W King St, Kings Mountain, NC 28086, followed by a funeral service at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Give Kids The World Village at gktw.org.
Fond memories and expressions may be offered at www.carothersfuneralhomegastonia.com.
