Robert Lewis Stephens

Robert Lewis (Rob) Stephens died Friday, May 1, 2009, at his new home on Rough River Lake at Falls-of-Rough, Ky. Born in Kansas City, Kan., he moved to St. Louis, where he graduated from St. Louis University. He did graduate work at the University of Hawaii, then served in Brazil as a Peace Corps volunteer. Rob taught art classes in Brisbane, Australia. His work hangs in the National Art Gallery in Canberra, Australia. He moved to Fredonia, N.Y., where he lived for 31 years. He received his M.F.A. from SUNY Buffalo and taught art classes there and at SUNY College at Fredonia. He worked as a consultant in a Vietnamese refugee camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. And in Fredonia, he was a volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of America. The passions of his life were his wife of 46 years, art, music, travel, politics, Asian cuisine, and everything Tibetan. Rob is survived by his wife, Joyce; his cats Robbie, Mooby and Marlowe; his sister Sandy Ackerson, Overland Park, Kan.; his niece Beth (Charlie) White, Tampa, Fla.; his nephews Erik Ackerson, St. Thos., USVI and Kirk (Stacy) Ackerson, Olathe, Kan.; a grandnephew and grandniece, and the fabulous "group" in Fredonia. He will be interred at Graceland Cemetery in Weston, Mo. A wake will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions to Literacy Volunteers (314 Central Ave., Dunkirk NY 14063), Lakeshore Humane Society (PO Box 5, Fredonia, NY 14063), or any liberal cause.