Robert P. Lott

Robert Pitchford Lott, (Bob) 96, passed away peacefully in Tuscaloosa on November 20, 2025 surrounded by his children. He was born and raised in Selma, AL. He always considered Alabama home, so much so that during his 33 year career in the US Army, he always said that when he retired he would “move back home to Alabama”. After his retirement in 1978, he moved his family to Tuscaloosa, where he has lived for the past 47 years.

He was born October 10, 1929 to John Pitchford Lott and Maggie Harris Lott.

After graduation from A. G. Parrish High School, Selma in 1948, he joined the Army. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1967 with a BA in History. He then returned to the University of Alabama Business School in 1981 and completed course work for an MBA from the Culverhouse School of Business.

He married Betty Allen Smith on March 26, 1955 in Columbus, GA. They met on a blind date when he was a First Lieutenant stationed at Ft. Benning. They were happily married for 68 years. Betty passed away on Jan. 2, 2024. Their proudest achievements have always been and will always be their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Bob and Betty have four children, Margaret Allen Lott (Carl Schroeder) of Olympia, WA; Mary Elizabeth Lott Chedid of St. Petersburg, FL; Robert Pitchford Lott, Jr. (Leslie) of Huntsville, AL; and James Lewis Lott of Tuscaloosa; six grandchildren, Elena Zubowicz of Portland, OR, James Zubowicz of St. Petersburg, FL, Jamila (Vanja) Kravarusic of St. Petersburg, FL, John Tannous Chedid of St. Petersburg, FL, John Pitchford Lott (Kelli) of Huntsville, AL and Brantley (Wesley) Valdyke of Anacortes, WA; and six great-grandchildren, Wyatt and Adelaide Valdyke, Una and Anja Kravarusic, and Harrison and Louise Lott.

Lieutenant Colonel Lott served more than 33 years in the Alabama State Guard, The National Guard and in Regular Army units as an Infantry Officer after graduation from Officer Candidate School. His biggest disappointment was being too young to join the Army to participate in WWll. His mother reluctantly agreed to allow him to join the Alabama State Guard in 1945 at the age of 16. Once in the Army, he served in nine different infantry regiments, commanding four separate rifle companies in as many different infantry regiments. He served as a 2nd Lieutenant, Platoon Leader and a 1st Lieutenant Company Commander in the 3rd Infantry Division during combat operations in Korea. He commanded an infantry heavy mortar company and a field artillery firing battery in the 39th Field Artillery. He also served as Senior Regimental Advisor for the 7th Regiment and later Deputy Division Advisor for the 5th (ARVN) Infantry Division in Vietnam.

His commendations and awards include the Combat Infantrymen’s Badge, 2nd Award, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster and other awards for combat and peace time service. His career took him to Ft. Bragg, NC, Ft. Stewart, GA, Korea, Ft. Polk, LA, Ft. Benning, GA, Ft. Leavenworth, KS, Iceland, Ft. Belvoir, VA, Vietnam, Ft. Dix, NJ, and Ft. Harrison, IN. The family was stationed in Bamberg, Germany which gave them the opportunity to travel in Europe.

Of his service in the Army, Bob spoke of the stalwart soldiers and gentlemen that he served among. He was proud and privileged to have been associated with each and every one of them. Bob remembered one Sergeant Lawrence Lively, who would say to him, “begging the Captain’s pardon and meaning no disrespect to a commissioned officer but…” Bob said that he learned to pay attention to those words because he knew he was going to hear a very good lesson of what to do or what not to do. Bob related that Sergeant Lively was always correct in these lessons. “No truer soldier ever wore a uniform.” Bob learned to pay attention when Sgt. Lively spoke.

After retiring from the Army, Bob and Betty relocated to Tuscaloosa. They joined the congregation of the First United Methodist Church and enjoyed worshipping there. They joined the Fannie Mae Lee Sunday School Class and Bob served as president of the class for three terms. Bob spent several years remodeling their home in Woodland Hills, with the help of two carpenters from the University. He enjoyed planting and growing azaleas, camelias, and daffodils from bulbs dug from his father’s old family home in Mississippi.

Bob learned and perfected wood working and wood refinishing skills and enjoyed putting his skills to use on family antiques. When visiting his grown children, he would take his work clothes so that he could help with any project that needed refinishing. With meticulous care he refinished the main doors to the sanctuary of the church. He joined the Gideon Association and was involved in distributing New Testaments to individuals and groups.

He taught his children and his grandchildren by his example. He always did his best in any endeavor. He preserved family history, writing his memoir and telling entertaining family stories. He was an avid learner and researcher, he always had books, papers, and maps on the kitchen table. His children enjoyed nothing better than sitting around the dining table after dinner, talking together and listening to Dad telling family stories.

In his last years, Bob remembered a question his mother once asked, “Where is your spiritual home?” After some thought he answered that his spiritual home was somewhere on the Southern railroad between his family home in North Selma and Burnsville. The railroad route went from his family home at 3105 Water Avenue toward his father’s family home, the Brantley’s place, called Manilla. That railroad route always felt like a spiritual home to him.

Bob explained that he and his wife had an agreement that both of them would be buried in the New Live Oak Cemetery in Selma. He related that the love they shared for their family contributed to the joys they shared in life. That in turn contributed to the lessons they tried to teach their children for the direction to follow in life’s troubles.

Bob Lott’s last words included “I want to thank all who have helped me along the way with their love and support. So I am at the end of life’s parade and I ask God to forgive me my sins and any sins that I have created against my fellow man.”

While his children and grandchildren mourn his passing, we will always honor his memory. More importantly, both our parent’s character and wisdom now live in us and our children. Their impact on us was profound and humbling and their story continues to live in all of us.