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Memories of Robert, Page 12
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Eliot Bush
Colleague
Some time around when I was starting as a new assistant prof, and Bob was starting as dean of faculty, he came by my office for some reason or other. Looking out the window, he saw that you could see Sprague (where his office was). “I’ll be keeping an eye on you,” he said. But of course his characteristic laugh made the whole thing lighthearted.
Isabel Balseiro
Colleague
Bob’s peals of laughter, his irrepressible joy, preceded him and still resonate as some of us think of him. We served together in the Study Abroad Committee when he chaired it and I recall his collegiality as genuine and generous. As Dean of the Faculty, Bob approached me once to gauge my willingness to run for chair at the then Humanities and Social Sciences Department. He understood, respected, and supported me when I turned down that opportunity because of personal reasons. I was raising an infant son at the time and if there was something Bob fiercely guarded with utmost pride were his two sons. When he and his family unexpectedly lost Adam, it was my turn to pay my respects and honor his inconsolable grief. A beloved colleague, Bob was also a true mensch.
Tom Donnelly
Colleague and friend
I first met Bob when I interviewed at Harvey Mudd in 1997; in our half our together he asked me about my research and sent me to the board to answer his questions. I loved it–he was kind and warm, sure, but he was also dedicated to science and understanding. He wanted to know. Over the years, I marveled at that deep curiosity about the world, and came to understand that it also extended to people. Because of it, he was a source of great wisdom and I leaned on him many times over the years for advice about people, career, and life. He was a giant and I am grateful to have had him in my life.
Corey Liu ’92
Student
How lucky I was to be a frosh in Prof. Cave’s “freshman” year at Mudd, and to have had him as my academic advisor. Did Prof. Cave ever not have a smile on his face? That is without a doubt an enduring Mudd memory for me. What an honor it was to have shared an orbit with him.
Chang Hee Kim ’91
Student in his Group theory and Quantum Chemistry
Professor Cave and his wife invited me and other foreign students to his home for Thanksgiving and we had a great time eating and playing Trivial Pursuit. For me as a foreign student with nowhere to go for Thanksgiving, it was a hospitality and generosity I remember to this day. I am going to miss his booming voice and laughter. He inspired me to go to Caltech to get my PhD in Chemistry. I will miss him dearly and always remember him with a smile till we meet again. Love you, Bob. Chang Hee.