Robert Hardman Liias

A memorial service for Robert will be held Wednesday, March 1, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Acacia Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 14951 Bothell Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98155.

The service will be livestreamed. To join the live stream use the link provided, in the 'Services' section, on this page...

Robert Hardman Liias was born in California on April 5th, 1980 to Christina Hardman. When Rob was two years old, Veikko Liias met Rob’s mother and entered Rob’s life. Robert’s sister, Keni, was born a few years later, and Veikko and Chris joined their lives in marriage. A couple of years later Rob’s parents divorced. A bit after that, Rob chose to live with his dad, Veikko, and his sister, Keni. When Robert was 10, Colleen married into Rob’s family, becoming his stepmom. Robert’s stepbrother, Connor, was born soon after. In his mid-teens, Robert chose to change his living arrangements and went to live with his mother, Chris.

As a child, Robert was genuinely kind and extremely tender hearted. Kids were naturally drawn to his positive and charismatic personality. Rob would frequently gather the extended neighborhood kids together to play a game on the street. These gatherings sometimes became a spontaneous prayer event -led by Rob! That next Sunday, Rob would fill his parent’s car with friends to come to church. Robert had a ‘sixth sense’ for people and he had a knack for selling and trading. He’d get kids together, knowing that this kid wanted such and such video game, that kid needed new wheels for his skateboard, the other kid wanted a Walkman, and Robert wanted money to buy a specific collectable sport card. Rob would know who had each thing that the other person wanted, and he’d put this complex deal together AND make out with the card that he had wanted …he was BRILLIANT in so many respects! Later in life, that natural entrepreneurial ability would make it difficult to explain to him why he needed a ‘real job’.

Robert was way too intelligent to be challenged by conventional school! At some point, going to school became unstimulating for him and his attendance became sketchy. In his later teen years, Robert’s choices put him onto a dangerous path which led to the drug scene and into addiction. His way became foggy, and he socially changed his tribe. All that redirection became his undoing.

Robert -even when young, had a strong sense of caring for and for protecting his family and friends …especially his mother, Chris, his younger sister and brother, Keni and Connor, and the one who would become his wife, Mara, and her son, River! Robert had a passion for playing and watching football, baseball, and basketball -any team sport, really. He had a passion for collecting …especially: sports cards, Air Jordan shoes, Bulls and other sport hats and sports jerseys. He loved his Seahawks!

Robert developed a strong faith in Jesus as his Savior and hungered to understand God’s word and God’s plan for him. Because Robert had accepted Jesus as his personal Savior -even though he struggled with the process of walking out his faith out -we all can struggle with that, we can know that Rob was joyously received into heaven by Jesus Christ. We can have confidence that Robert is in heaven now with His many grandparents from his blended and extended family, with his cousin, Garrett, and with his many friends who left this world to soon.

The following words were written by Ryan R., a close friend of Rob’s -a brother Robert would say, who went through treatment with Rob in the Sothern California recovery center. These words show how Robert touched lives! Ryan wrote these words a day or two after Rob’s death:

"Robert Liias served as a leader in the recovery community, in Southern California, and lead by example. I am proud to say, Robert was a consistent shoulder to lean on, he had an ear to hear, and Robert had a voice that resonated in the hearts of the still-suffering addict. Robert did his best by his comrades in this fight against a progressive, fatal disease. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Rob. We know that Rob fought hard. We know that Rob was willing to drop whatever he was doing, to help another one of his suffering comrades. We, of the recovering community, will miss Rob greatly. He has inspired many addicts to keep fighting. He has brought many smiles to our lives, and has had a profound, and lasting effect on our journey of recovery from active addiction to drugs and alcohol. With a pained heart, and newfound vigilance we say thank you to Rob for what he has done for us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rob’s family. Our heart breaks with yours. We take solace in the fact that Rob is at rest now, that he is no longer suffering, and that he is experiencing the love of his Everlasting Creator."

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ...Therefore we (can be) full of courage, (because) we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are (physically) absent from the Lord …(but) we live by faith, not by sight. Thus, we (can be) full of courage (knowing that when we leave our physical) body (we will be) at home (in heaven) with the Lord.

To watch service copy the link below:

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