DR. ROBERT G. ALLBRITTEN
April 22, 1935 - May 18, 2018

"I could not communicate today without his amazing coaching whilst on the forensics team. I will miss him."

"Robert Allbritten was one of the best professors that I had at NMU. I still remember his wonderful Advanced Public Speaking Class. Danny Castelow '77"

"Remembering Robert Allbritten as an outstanding and dedicated member of our faculty."

"Bob was a gentle and caring soul. In my time as organist at the bigbay church he always encouraged me in my music. Only once did I find out that even Bob had hymns he didn't like. "Are you washed in the blood" I can still hear him groaning!! With deepest condolences Matthew Tulla"

"Joe and Nancy Kimble Joe met Bob in 1969 while attending classes at Northern full time. At the time, Joe was also working full time for the State of Michigan. It was instructors like Bob who made this possible by adjusting class requirements to facilitate the full time work and class load. We were very happy when our long time friend Marian and Bob were married in the early 70's. We kept in touch over the years but always tried to visit them regularly which included our last visit last summer. God called Bob home which saddens his friends and relatives left here. However, we all cherish the memories that Bob has left with us. "

"I will never forget the sensation the Allbrittens caused when they moved into our neighborhood. All the girls had a very serious crush on Jeff, myself included! I will always remember Dr. Albritton as a very kind man. I frequently borrow their hand pushed lawn mower. Then afterwards, when returning it, we often had friendly chats. Jeff, you had an amazing dad! Would love to reconnect. Denise (Desmarais) Breuer denise907@gmx.de"

"Bob was an extraordinary person. He had the It factor that cant be learned. People were naturally drawn to him because of his charismatic smile, twinkling eyes, and fast wit. Bob was the best communicator that Ive ever known. He could entertain a crowd with his animated story telling, bring tears to our eyes with the poems he wrote and bring joy with his musical talents, which included singing and playing musical instruments of all kinds (including piano, organ, flutes, fifes, and gongs, to name a few). He was as good of a listener as he was an orator. He wanted everyone to feel comfortable and validated when he was with them. I am blessed beyond words to have been Bobs daughter-in-law. I will cherish the memories of him making hats out of newspaper for our kids, reading aloud excerpts from his daily journals from years ago, singing while playing the piano, and beaming while he showed us the many bicycles that he refurbished for us so we could have something to do while visiting. I will hold on to memories of my many conversations with Bob about religion and various belief systems. Mostly, I will remember and miss how Bob made me feel. He made me feel like I was the most important person in the room when we talked. He made me feel like he loved me unconditionally. Im sure he made others feel the same way. It was just who Bob was and he will be deeply missed."

"One of my favorite humans ever. Bob had the gift of being interested in people, he had this way of making people feel genuinely important. I could talk to him all day. Bob always dressed up nice for church and welcomed everyone with open arms. When I decided to write a song about my friend Bob, my wife said" "Every time I was a around Bob, I wanted to be more like him" Great title hon, " Be like Bob" . Feeling pain and loss but it's WAY outnumbered by Love , hope and thanking God for putting this man in our lives. I will Be like Bob , I will walk with God. Will miss our friend everyday. "

"It is hard to find the words to write about my Grandpa Bob because he was more than a person to me; he was a feeling. Being around him made me feel loved, accepted, happy, and heard. While no words can do him justice, I will try to paint the picture of who he was to me. They say that actions speak louder than words, but my grandfather proved that both are equally important. Whether he was aware of this or not, he taught me more about life than anyone. From him, I learned that words are magical. With the right word choice and captivating cadence of voice, any conversation could be meaningful. Grandpa Bob demonstrated this time and time again when he regaled stories of his past, read from old journals, and just simply spoke to us. While he was a master of speech, he also showed me the importance of silence. He truly enjoyed being outdoors and basking in the beauty of nature. We went fishing together, picked blueberries, fed the ducks, and built fires. His appreciation of nature inspired me to look at a lake and see more than a lake, to run through the grass barefoot, and to be awestruck by the night sky. My grandfather was also a comedian. He taught me the importance of humor. Quick to smile, and with a hearty laugh and twinkle in his eye, my grandfather could bring joy to almost any situation. He would make up games for my sister and me to play. Once, he pretended to be a monster, stacking all his hats up on his head and growling. We could not stop giggling. He was a spiritual man and he showed me how to not judge others. He was intrigued by other religions and invited traveling Jehovah witnesses into his home just so he could learn more about their beliefs. He was the perfect example of how to always look for the good in others. Grandpa Bob was one of a kind. He was the perfect balance between an intellectual and an outdoorsman. His humor, wit, and musical prowess brought countless evenings of laughter and joy. My grandfather was my greatest teacher and he meant the world to me. It has been a privilege to be his granddaughter. He was, and will always remain, ineffable. "

"My earliest memory of my life is from about two years old, and it was me running through the ferns in Big Bay, yelling, Grandpa, Grandpa! Lets pick the celery! I am so lucky to have 25 years of memories with my grandpa. My grandpa was a gentleman and a scholar. He was a loved professor. He loved music, and he was an infectious public speaker and storyteller. I will miss listening to you read from your journals. My grandpa was loved by every single person that had the privilege to know him. He was probably the most loved man that Ive ever met. I dont think it was humanly possible to not fall in love with his amazing personality and wonderful sense of humor. He had this ability to make whomever he was talking to feel like the most special person in the world. I feel so lucky to have been loved by him. Grandpa, I know you would want me to focus on our great memories together and want me to realize the bigger picture and focus on Gods plan, but I cant help but be so upset because I miss you tremendously already. You were my only grandpa in my life, and I thank you for everything youve taught me. You were and always will be my biggest role model. I hope to have half of the character you did. I thank you, too, for raising my dad and shaping him into such a wonderful man. Thank you for making me feel so special, Grandpa. You were one in a million, and I will love you endlessly. Please watch over me. Love, Lauren"

"Words can't describe the joy I felt as a child seeing my Grandpa Bob's smile and rosy cheeks. Some of my best memories are with my Grandma Marian and Grandpa Bob on Lake Independence. I'll always remember the time we almost sank their pontoon. There were too many people in the back and we rapidly took on water as the boat accelerated. Everyone scrambled to the front besides my Grandpa Bob. Always calm and collected, he kept his seat and said with a chuckle, "It appears we're going down!" He impacted the lives of so many people over the course of his extraordinary life with his selfless demeanor, big heart, and ability to make people laugh in the face of adversity. He'll be forever loved, missed, and honored by his family and friends. May he rest in eternal peace."

"I had the good fortune of being in Professor Allbritten's public speaking class at NMU. I still have the book we used in class that he authored. A great man. We are all blessed to have him in our lives. My prayers and thoughts go to the family. Blessings and peace. Dave Forsberg."

"Whle working at NMU, I met Bob, and always felt honored that he recognized me and would take time to visit. It was a surprise, but not surprising, that Bob was so close to his faith and church. He was one of the nicest men i ever knew. He and his family will be included in my prayers. Andy Wasilewski"

"Intelligence, wit, and caring ... so good to so many ... a great loss to any who knew him ... Love to family, and deeply so to his loving wife of 44 yrs, Marian."

"I was blessed to have Bob as a colleague and mentor during my first eight years as a faculty member at NMU. He was classy, dedicated and extremely sincere. I used to put my ice shanty out in front of Bob and Marian's property on Lake Independence, and they would let me park at their place to walk out and catch a few walleyes. Sometimes Bob would join me to watch the tip-ups. Whether on a frozen lake or at the office, I always enjoyed Bob's company. "