Robert I. Tepper

Robert I. Tepper, 75, of Rutland, a longtime local attorney, photographer, sailor and dedicated father and grandfather, died at Rutland Regional Medical Center on May 16, 2014, after a long battle with cancer.

He self-eulogized: "What probably killed him was a pathological increase of ideas and projects, that developed daily, of such magnitude that finally, his body could no longer host his mind and enthusiasm."

The son of the late Solomon and Frieda (Fineberg) Tepper, Robert was born February 26, 1939, in Long Branch, N.J. He graduated from the Hackley School in 1957, Ohio Wesleyan University (B.A., '61) and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (J.D., '65).

Admitted to the bar in 1968, Robert served as Rutland County state's attorney from 1969-75. He later entered private practice, specializing in real estate transactions. Robert was a founding partner of Tepper Dardeck Levins & Mann L.L.P. of Rutland, where he was still working at the time of his death.

A longtime and active supporter of economic development in downtown Rutland, Robert bought and refurbished the building at 73 Center St. that previously housed the Rutland County Jail (which, according to the Rutland Historical Society, had been condemned as substandard and was the site of several prisoner escapes in the final years of its use), converting it into the headquarters of his law firm. A section of the basement lock-up remains in tact, but, of course, unused.

Robert was a longtime member and past president of the Rutland County Bar Association. He was a former director of the Downtown Development Corporation and a former chairman of the District 1 Environmental Commission.

As a sailor, he was owner and captain of Second Fiddle, which he proudly sailed on Lake Champlain and other waterways of the Northeast for many summers. A favorite route featured a long trip down the Hudson River to New York City with close friends and gourmet food. A food lover, he was known to appear uninvited in restaurant kitchens and, on one occasion, delivered his own raw steak for preparation.

Robert was also an accomplished photographer, with an unusual affinity for action photos that don't capture their human subjects in their best light. He called it "photography, not flattery." A gallery of his photos was recently featured at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. Other examples were submitted to the Rutland Herald, and occasionally published, to Robert's great delight.

He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Sheryl (Kesman) Tepper; and their children, Andrew Tepper of Pittsburgh and his wife Ping (Guo) Tepper, Nancy Mager of Boston and husband David Mager; grandchildren Dustin, Spencer, Jacob and Emmy; and his sister, Barbara Goldberg, of Fort Myers, Fla.

A doting grandfather, Robert entertained the children with unusual modes of entertainment, including carrying prepared chicken wings up his sleeve to "magically" replenish their plates at restaurants, and preparing sports trivia questions that always had the same answer: Frank Budd, the Olympic sprinter who was from Robert's hometown.

Robert will be remembered for his unfailingly positive approach to life. He recently wrote in his journal, "Cancer battled me ... when will it give up? It can't win!" A great believer in prisoner rehabilitation, he was known to employ ex-convicts whom he had personally prosecuted.

A burial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, in Rutland Jewish Center Cemetery, Bixby Lane, East Clarendon. It will be followed at 12 p.m. by a celebration of Robert's life at the Paramount Theater, Center Street, Rutland, and a reception at Rutland Country Club, Grove Street, Rutland.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Foley Cancer Center at Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen St., Rutland, VT 05701.

Arrangements are under the direction of Tossing Funeral Home.