Robert D. Laurent

A year has passed & I have come back to retrieve the kind words & thoughts people have expressed about you for myself, Micheline, your granddaughters and grandchildren to come. Every day I think about you. Every day I hurt, remember, and rejoice in different ways. I've worked hard in this past year to make good on the promises I made to you at Glenbrook Hospital, hoping you could still hear me. I've made progress in some areas, in others I'm still trying. It's hard to believe a year has...

Bob was like a second father to me and I will miss him very much. He was such a big part of my wonderful childhood memories. I remember him taking Mich, Paul and me to the Dairy Bar and the Playdium to roller skate. He drove us to high school every day - and would never take the gas money my parents tried to pay him. And I remember him at my wedding, very soon after his jaw surgery. He still danced and had a smile for everyone. I always looked forward to him stopping by when Mich and the kids...

I only knew Bob from working at the University of Chicago Graham School's downtown office where he taught for us, but even from the small interaction I had, I could tell he was a good, kind, thoughtful and caring man. It was always a pleasure just to see him -- his personality was just warm and enjoyable to be around.

He will be greatly missed by all, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

We remember Bob from his west coast visits with his family when his children were small. We have great memories of both his easy-going personality and his intellect and our sympathies go out to Micheline and Paul for having lost their father at such an early age.

Ron & Linda Schreck

I was a student of Dr. Laurent's as part of IIT's MS in Operations and Technology Management which met on Saturdays. I enjoyed the classes that Dr. Laurent led or co-led very much. I developed an appreciation and understanding of economics that I did not have before. He was a great instructor. My best wishes to all of his family and friends.

I had the great pleasure of taking two of Prof Laurent's Economics classes at Stuart School, IIT. He had such a great mind and his classes were always fascinating. It will be a big loss to the students to have lost a brilliant professor like him. My deepest condolences to you, Paul and Micheline.

I had the honor of working with Bob for 15 years at the Fed and enjoyed keeping in contact with him after he left the bank. I found Bob to always be a bright thinker. If he had a different opinion about a topic he would challenge that view with strong arguments.

My heartfelt condolences to the family.

He will be missed.

Dad, where do I start? You were one of the best people that I've ever met in my life and I've met a lot of wonderful people. I remember so many things about you like taking me and Joy, Katie, Shelley, and Paul for bike rides and always stopping at McDonalds or the Dairy Bar for ice cream. Or regular trips to Dominicks or exotic trips out to CA with my girlfriends. These trips established friendships that I will have for the rest of my life and you were the main reason for this. Or visiting me...

I was saddened to learn of Bob's sudden death. I knew Bob during most of his 30 years at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He was one of the best economists on my research staff. Many economic professionals consulted him. I greatly appreciated the help he gave me in evaluating particular economic issues. My condolences to his family.