Robert Truman Cloninger

1945 - 2024

Robert Truman Cloninger

December 16, 1945 - May 21, 2024

Lincolnton, North Carolina - Dr. Robert Truman Cloninger, age 78, of Jerry Crump Road in Lincolnton died at his desk from a heart attack in his home on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. He was born in Dallas, North Carolina in 1945 to parents Paul Hunter and Beatrice Kennedy Cloninger. He was the youngest of five children. He was preceded in death by Mary Jo Cloninger, Paul Thomas Cloninger and Shirley Kennedy Fisher.

A graveside service for Robert Truman will be held at 4:00 pm on Friday, June 7, 2024, in Holy Communion Lutheran Church Cemetery of Dallas with Pastor Judy Drysdale of Emmanual Lutheran Church officiating.

Robert Truman was preceded in death by his wife, Lou Robinson Cloninger whom he loved so very much. He is survived by his two daughters Janna Cloninger Matko of Greensboro and Leslie Erin Cloninger of Chapel Hill. He has two beautiful grandchildren, John David Civils III and Robert Pearson Civils.

Following in his older brother, Dr. John Lester Cloninger's footsteps, he was a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. It is notable that through their example, three of their children are also graduates of the UNC School of Dentistry including Dr. John Lester Cloninger III, Dr. Paul Hunter Cloninger and Dr. Janna Cloninger Matko. Upon graduating from Dental School in 1971, Robert Truman served in the United States Navy (1971-1974) stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He then opened his own dental practice in Lincolnton for fifty years with Sheila Armstrong as his office manager. He could not have done it without her. He semi-retired in 2021 and continued to do what he loved, helping people with their dental health needs.

Robert Truman was a kind and generous man who rarely if ever said "No" to those who asked for help. He knew firsthand that life is so hard and that going to the dentist is scary. It was his witness to do all he was able to help those around him navigate both.

He lived a full life and included his girls. He wanted to see the dinosaur bones in Washington, the Logger Head turtles lay their eggs in Baldhead Island, the whales off the coast of Boston, the Pyramids of Egypt and the Galapagos Islands. And we did.

He was intelligent, funny, and creative and would sing Neil Diamond, Born Free and Lift High the Cross while treating his patients and walking down the office hall lined with Tom Clark Gnomes. He was always creating, building, and collecting.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hospice of Lincoln County, 900 Dontia Drive, Lincolnton, N.C. 28092.

Warlick Funeral Home in Lincolnton, N.C. is serving the Cloninger family.