Robert Bryan Aiken of Washington, Georgia and Highlands, NC died peacefully at home on July 4, 2023. He was the son of Hugh Fraser Aiken and Claire McGinnis Aiken of Saint Simons Island, GA. He attended Glenn Academy and the University of Georgia, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in landscape architecture and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Robert partnered with some of the premier landscape architects in the South and worked on a variety of landmark projects from celebrated North Atlanta estates to the Atlanta airport. His passion was the meticulous renovation and restoration of the historic homes and gardens he owned with his life partner, the legendary Atlanta designer and event planner, Robert Griggs. Starting with their pioneering work on the revitalization of Inman Park in the 1960s and the renovation of the classic Queen Anne Victorian Beath-Dickey House on Euclid Avenue, the pair went on to restore magnificent properties in Savannah and Washington, GA and an idyllic mountain cottage in Highlands NC.

While their homes and antique collections were impressive by any measure, the magic they created with their warm and graceful hospitality was unparalleled. From the simplest picnic with red checked table cloths, daisies and mimosas served in Ball jars to lavish candlelit evenings with roaring fires, red roses, champagne and caviar, every gathering was a memorable affair.

Robert and Robert collected friends from all walks of life and created a community around a common cause in Inman Park. Today the neighborhood continues to thrive as a unique blend of its bohemian and aristocratic pasts with a diverse and inclusive collection of characters that still stop to visit each other on their front porches. It is a legacy that Robert loved.

Robert is survived by his brother, King Van Buren Aiken, Sr. and his wife, Louise; nieces, Katherine Aiken and Lucy Aiken Johnson; and nephew, King Aiken; Scott, Michael and Jeffrey Ramsaur; Susan Griggs and his beloved dog, Honey Bear. He is also survived by a host of loving relatives and friends.

His celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 29, 2023, 11:00 AM at the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, 214 East Robert Toombs Ave., Washington, GA 30673.

In lieu of flowers, Robert requested that donations be made to an animal rescue charity of choice.

Published by Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jul. 16, 2023.