Robert Burnett Silliman

Robert Burnett Silliman passed away peacefully on August 30, 2026. He was born in 1939 in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Newton, Massachusetts, where he was educated at one of the nation’s leading public high schools. Silliman received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1961 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1963. Following graduation from law school, he served as an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States Air Force in Topeka, Kansas.

Silliman began his career in private practice at the Atlanta law firm Powell Goldstein Frazer & Murphy. Desiring greater courtroom experience, he moved to Marietta to practice with esteemed trial lawyer Raymond Reed. He later co-founded the firm Chalker & Silliman, where he challenged himself by handling all kinds of legal matters, from commercial and domestic disputes to real estate closings to criminal defense, including murder trials. In 1986, he joined the established Marietta firm Awtrey & Parker, where for the rest of his career he focused on corporate, lending, and bankruptcy law and served as a Chapter 7 panel bankruptcy trustee.

Outside of work, Silliman was active in his community. He served on the Board of Directors and as Community Development Chairman of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, on the Governing Board and Selection Committee of Leadership Cobb, as a member of the Lion's Club, and as an active parishioner of St. James Episcopal Church. For decades, he enjoyed a regular tennis game on Saturday mornings with the same group of judges and practicing lawyers at the Marietta Country Club. As a parent, Silliman helped instill an appreciation for education and hard work and the values of kindness and civic mindedness.

Silliman was preceded in death by his son, Dr. Scott B. Silliman. He is survived by his wife, Ebba Bodile Streeten; brother, Scott L. Silliman; daughter, Carolyn Silliman Hardwick; son, Robert Todd Silliman (Wendy); daughter-in-law, Dr. Erin Harkins Silliman; and four grandchildren.

The family will hold a private burial service on September 4, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions to a charity of the donor’s choosing.