Professor Robert Emmett Tindall

Professor Robert Emmett Tindall Bob Tindall passed away at his home on July 15, 2013, after a courageous five-year battle against lymphoma. His favorite quote was, "Live all you can," and that is exactly what he did, and in his own way. He was a force of nature--an extraordinary being with a zest for life who was interested in everything and everyone, and at home in many worlds (teaching, travel, business, sailing, law). He connected with whomever he met almost immediately, and usually passed on some words of wisdom or encouragement. Bob's greatest satisfaction came from interacting with his students. From his forty years of teaching, mostly at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, his legacy is the positive influence he had on hundreds of them, many of whom kept in contact over the years. He will live on through the lives of the individuals he touched. He is survived by his domestic partner of 35+ years, Linda Lynn; his son Rob Tindall of San Diego; his daughter Liz Baker (Paul) of Tucson; and his sister Pat Crimi and niece Kathleen Buzaki (Jim), both of the Ft. Lauderdale area. Bob was born on January 2, 1934 (1/2/34) in New York City, where he developed his feisty spirit. His mother, Alice McGonigle Tindall, had been a showgirl on Broadway; his father, Robert Emmett Tindall, Jr. was in real estate. Bob attended the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, graduating with a degree in Marine Engineering in 1955. His undergraduate education included traveling throughout the world on the school ship, and he also joined some classmates to sail in the Bermuda Race. Upon graduation, Bob was selected for an elite management training program at General Electric. He soon took a leave from GE, however, to accept a commission in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant. After his discharge, he returned to GE to work in manufacturing management. In 1960 he took another leave from GE to attend law school, first at Georgetown and then at the University of Arizona, from which he graduated in 1963. Once in Tucson, he decided that this was his real home and resigned from GE. He practiced law here, and also was hired part-time at the U of A Business College to teach business law on the condition that he also teach statistics. He soon became a full-time faculty member and gave up his law practice. Bob found his true calling in the classroom. He was energized by his students, and they by him. He received outstanding student evaluations from the very beginning, and was honored with numerous teaching awards throughout his career. He broadened his teaching repertoire to include entrepreneurship, global strategic management, and technology business startup. Because he felt it important that students learn about business practices in other countries, Bob became the first Eller professor to organize student learning experiences in other countries, including Italy, Hong Kong, China, France, and Mexico. Bob was a life-long learner: in 1967 he completed a Master's of Law degree at NYU through a three-summer program, and in 1975 obtained a Ph.D. in International Management at City University in London. His dissertation, "Multinational Enterprises," was published by Oceana Publications in New York. During his time in London, he was inducted into the Honourable Society of Middle Temple. He lectured in India about globalization for the U.S. State Department in 1974. From 1975-81 he was the MBA Director at the U of A, and from 1984-86, he served as the founding director of the Entrepreneurship Program. On a leave from the U of A in 1981-82, Bob worked in Saudi Arabia as a consultant to a former student from that country regarding international portfolio investments. Over the years, Bob also served as a visiting professor at Soochow University in Taiwan, the University of San Francisco, the Stern School at New York University, and the Rady School at the University of California, San Diego. Bob was listed in "Marquis' Who's Who in the World," and recently received a Fifty Year Certificate from the State Bar of Arizona. Beyond his professional interests, Bob enjoyed acting, sailing, swimming, traveling, and reading, reading, reading. He acted in amateur theatre and also had small parts in movies and TV shows filmed locally, even obtaining a Screen Actor's Guild card. He always owned and enjoyed sailboats of various sizes. He and Linda traveled worldwide for pleasure and knowledge, visiting Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, Central America, North America, the Caribbean, and elsewhere. A "Celebration of Life" party open to all will be held at Bob's home near the Arizona Inn beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 8, 2013 (U of A Homecoming Weekend). Contact Linda B. Lynn for details at lindablynn@msn.com. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity.