Bob loved the experience of aliveness. He expressed this in many ways--a ready smile, making music, writing, a sweet tennis serve, skiing, sailing, and listening to mountain streams. He loved hanging out with his wife Sheila, his kids--Melissa and Chris Atchley and Chris Miller, and his four grandchildren, Sydney, Hope, Sophia and Benjamin. He cherished his friends and loved good conversation. Bob married Sue Hyser in 1961 and they had two children, Christopher Atchley and Melissa Atchley. He married Sheila J. Miller in 1976 who had a son, Christopher Miller (wife, Rachel).
Bob graduated with a major in sociology from Miami University in 1961 and went on to complete his Ph.D. in Sociology from American University in 1965. He returned to Miami University as a professor in 1966 was the director of the Scripps Gerontology Center for 25 years. He was named Distinguished Professor of Gerontology in 1986 and retired in 1998. He moved to Boulder, CO in 1998 and chaired the Gerontology program at Naropa University for 7 years.
More than a million people got their introduction to social gerontology by reading his textbook Social Forces and Aging, which went through ten editions from 1972 to 2004. His more specialized books Continuity and Adaptation in Aging and Spirituality and Aging were also widely read. In all, he wrote more than 25 books.
Bob never shied away from responsibility. He served as President of the 10,000-member American Society on Aging from 1988-1990 and held positions in various other national professional organizations in social gerontology. He also served on the boards of several national, state and local philanthropic organizations. He was well-loved for his work with areas of positive aging, and Sage-ing International.
Bob had a lifelong interest in singing. He began writing songs in the 1970s. When he retired from academia in 2007, he studied and practiced to be a professional-grade singer-songwriter. He published more than forty original songs and performed for a variety of audiences mostly around Boulder and at national conferences. He was proud of his four music CDs.
Bob's spiritual journey was profoundly influenced by two visits to India in 1978 and 1979 (with wife Sheila) to be with the Indian sage Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a teacher of existential spirituality. After that, he dedicated himself to encouraging and supporting others on their spiritual journeys. He published entries on spirituality for three encyclopedias. He was a convinced Quaker whose life revolved around a spiritual center. He had very deep affection for the Oxford, OH, and Boulder, CO, Meetings of the Religious Society of Friends.
Bob and his wife Sheila shared an astounding journey. Sheila was Bob's guiding light, closest friend, and love-song muse. Their life together was an ongoing testimony to the many possible levels of loving, the power of trust and tenderness, and the rewards of staying spiritually connected.
Memorial donations can be made to the charity of your choice or to Bridge House at htttps://boulderbridgehouse.org. A memorial Meeting for Remembrance will be held at the Boulder Friends Meetinghouse (Quakers) at 1825 Upland Ave., Boulder, CO 80304 on January 26 at 2:00 PM.
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