Robert Curtiss "Bob" Strauss

Robert Curtiss (Bob) Strauss left this world on December 9, 2018, as he lived it - with laughter, grace, and acceptance. Bob was taken by frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), a rare neurodegenerative disease. For more than eight years, he experienced gradual progressive declines in his behavior, language, and movement; however, Bob kept his memory, an awareness of his environment, and his sense of delight in the world around him. With the support of a dedicated team of caregivers, Bob lived his last years happily at his home in Downeast Maine.

Born June 1, 1941, Bob spent his youth playing on the streets of Chicago with his sister (and designated co-pilot) Elaine. Grade school was a challenge –not for Bob, who enjoyed it immensely, but for his parents and the nuns responsible for his education. As Bob told it: "during grade school, I was left back twice, but double-promoted in fifth grade – so I ended up even." His children, Jennifer and Morgan, recall hearing endless "bad daddy" stories from those years, and children of family and friends today find those stories to be a useful defense for their own misdeeds, as well as a source of hope, inspiration, and entertainment.

Bob found his academic footing in high school and went on to earn his B.S. degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Illinois and his M.S. in Physics from the University of Idaho. He began his career in engineering, holding technical positions at Eastman Kodak Company and later General Electric. One of his first projects was to help develop the orbiting camera system that successfully mapped the moon, as a precursor to the Apollo Mission.

Changing paths, Bob honed his corporate skills at Touche-Ross and Company, as a Management Consultant focusing on healthcare issues. Bob went on to hold senior leadership positions in medical device and pharmaceutical companies for the remaining three decades of his professional life. He served as Chief Financial Officer, and later President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Cordis Corporation. Prior to his retirement in 2008, Bob served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

This part of Bob's life is best summed up in his own words.

"For the past 30 years, I have been in the healthcare field in one way or another. At one point in my life, I made thermo-nuclear bombs and they weren't as much fun as healthcare because I couldn't imagine what good they were doing. However, in healthcare, at the end of the day, even when a competitor wins, the patient still wins. So I have always felt that the medical field is a personally rewarding business. Of course, although we are in business to create value, the goal is also to make the world a little bit better, and I'm confident that we're doing that."

Bob served as a Director on the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami. In addition to his committee duties, he especially enjoyed interacting directly with students. Bob considered the opportunity to deliver the commencement address to the May 1999 graduating class of the UM School of Engineering to be one of the personal highlights of his life. In his short and simple address, filled with good humor, he offered graduates a few lessons learned in the years since he had been in their shoes: "Lesson One: Wherever possible, keep it simple. Lesson Two: At all costs, enjoy what you are doing. Lesson Three: When in doubt, do the right thing. And the Last Lesson: Don't impose limits on yourself that aren't there."

Bob also enjoyed serving as a Director of the United Way of Miami-Dade, where he had the privilege of successfully co-chairing an annual United Way Campaign. He was also an active member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove, serving as a co-chair of the St. Stephen's Art Show.

Bob's favorite way to spend time with family and friends was either on the water or sailing by the water, sharing stories and marveling at the world, often with a glass in hand. His memberships in the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and the Coral Reef Yacht Club (each in Miami), as well as the Bucks Harbor Yacht Club (in Brooksville, Maine), were special pleasures in his life.

Bob had a gift for blending his family life, his many friendships, his work life, community service, and recreation into one wonderful world. It was a good life, and Bob appreciated every day of it – so much so that, throughout his mother's life, Bob would call her on his birthday to say:
"Mom, thanks for having me – I'm having a blast!"

Bob is survived by his wife Camilla McKee Cochrane; daughter, Jennifer Strauss and husband, Craig Darian; son, Morgan Strauss and wife, Jody; sister, Elaine Smith and partner, Ray Umeda; brother, Rick Strauss and wife, Diana; nephew, Mike Smith and wife, Katie Bernacchi, and their children, Niko and Luka; sister-in-laws, Lesely Kissel and Kimberly Cochrane; niece, Laura Cochrane and partner, Jennifer Krause; nephew, Ben Cochrane; God-children, Ben Messerschmidt and Jocelyn Messerschmidt James. Bob is predeceased by his nephews Jason Strauss and Christopher Smith.

At a small ceremony at his home in Maine, Bob's ashes were given to a nearby stream, to be carried by river to the sea that he loved. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Eaglesmere, Bob's home in Brooksville, Maine.

Anyone wishing to make donations in Bob's memory should consider contributing to the University of Miami, Robert C. Strauss and Camilla M. Cochrane Scholar in Engineering Endowed Scholarship.