Claud Robert "Bob" Horn

C. Robert “Bob” Horn, 89, of Tallahassee, FL, peacefully entered into Eternal Life in the glory of the Lord on February 4, 2023. He was loved and cared for by his family and friends and will be so missed. Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Claud and Helen Horn and his brother James. He is survived by his wife, Pat, his children Libby (Dale) Templeton, Audrey (Tom) Brunette, Larry (Ingrid) Horn, his sister Gretchen, and grandchildren Brandi, Brad, Paige, and Courtney. Throughout Bob’s life he was full of wonder and always in awe of God’s creation. He was born in Christiansted, St. Croix, VI and moved to Puerto Rico not long after his birth. During the first 8 years of his life, he was greatly exposed to biological science and engineering through the work of his father and here his love of creation began. He often mentioned that he’d like to be remembered for the way he communicated with birds, lizards, squirrels, and other wild creatures with joy and delight. Growing up he had pet squirrels and an owl which he fed and tamed for a while. His sister thanked him for his tender instruction of care for these creatures and shared that it helped her develop caring for all people and animals. With birds he’d listen to their musical sound patterns and work to imitate them and add a note – often this “conversation” with the bird would go on for some time. He also enjoyed paying close attention to lizards and has shared a glorious experience he had with one at their home in Apalachicola. On this occasion, the lizard began some sort of “gymnastics” that he’d never seen before and realized that the lizard was going through the process of molting, having outgrown its own hide. Bob obtained his BS in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Alongside these studies, he also took courses in art because of his love for that part of life. He met his beloved wife, Pat, while at the University of Tennessee. After graduation, they moved to Florida where he worked as a hydraulic engineer for the U. S. Soil Conservation Service focusing on watershed planning and protection. Later they moved to Charlottesville, VA and Annandale, VA during his tenure with the EPA. Over the course of his career, he developed new techniques in developing water flood protection plans and predictability models for flood damages. In Washington, D.C. he was Chief of the National Water Quality Monitoring Section where he designed a national river and surface waters mapping system which provides predictability of how far a pollutant placed in any body of water will spread. He also served a one-year assignment as an EPA liaison to the White House for water quality during the early 70s. He retired in 1989. He and Pat moved to Apalachicola, FL to enjoy the beauty and nature of the area and to restore an historic home. Through his life, his creative juices were at work on any subject. He invented machines and methods. He created his own designs for chairs, cabinets, databases, and even tools for making many of those items. One doesn’t often think of an engineer as a creative person, but Bob truly was. Through all of it, his loving relationship with God was a central focus. He wanted to stay alive as long as possible to help God help people take care of the environment on this planet with the skills and knowledge he was gifted with. In his journal he wrote “Love is not a feeling, it is something you do. The feelings that make you want to ‘do’ love are the feelings of love, but they are not love. Love is something you do, something you can give, something you can receive, and something you can share. All of which can increase the feelings of love.” He truly did what he could to live into this. A memorial service will be held at Holy Comforter Episcopal Church on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of Bob to The Nature Conservancy. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.

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Claud Robert "Bob" Horn

July 21, 1933 - February 4, 2023