ROBERT MOUNTS

Robert B. Mounts passed away on Nov. 25, 2012 in Tucson, Ariz. Born in St. Louis, Mo., on April 25, 1933, he grew up in Jacksonville, Ill., and later the family moved to Peoria, Ill. He is survived by his wife, Ruth;, two children and four grandchildren.

In the early 1950s, Robert was a radio operator in one of the experimental teams that later evolved into the Army Special Forces (AKA the Green Berets). He trained at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and Fort Bragg in North Carolina. After he was released from the Army, he went to Bradley University on the G.I. bill, and met his wife, Ruth. They were married in 1960. He later obtained a master's degree at the University of Illinois.

He worked for Caterpillar in Europe, where the family lived in Geneva, Switzerland for several years. Later he worked for various advertising agencies servicing the car industry in Detroit, MI. In the 1990s, Robert went into business for himself, training people in the emerging field of computer graphics software. In 1998, he retired and moved to Green Valley where he taught Shakespeare classes for over a decade.

Throughout his life Robert pursued his lifelong love of theater, directing children's and adult amateur theater. He performed in amateur and professional live theater in Peoria, Ill.; Geneva, Switzerland; the Fisher Theater in Detroit Mich.; the Mary Grove Theater at Mary Grove College in Detroit; on mainland Greece and on the Greek island of Spetses. He won a theater award when performing The Brig at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He also appeared in television commercials in Detroit.

Along with all of the above, Robert loved to write poetry. He belonged to several poetry clubs, both locally and internationally.

Robert lived a long and fruitful life. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.