Robert Killion

Robert’s first love was art. A graduate of Cohasset High School, class of 1976, he was voted "Most Talented" by his classmates. He was awarded a BFA from The Philadelphia College of Art and Design in 1980. He followed this calling wherever it led him- sometimes finding himself in unlikely but exciting places. One time that place was the inside of a bathtub in a small hotel in St. Thomas, as the hotel itself blew away all around him in a hurricane. Unfortunately, the hurricane also carried away the 20’ long panoramic mural he had spent a week creating! Undeterred, he returned to the island a year later and recreated the same mural in the Marriot’s rebuilt Frenchmen’s Reef Resort.

Robert’s career as a commercial artist led him to live in two of the most exciting cities in the US- New York and Miami. He spent much of the eighties living in the seaport district of lower Manhattan, where his third floor apartment, under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, provided both inspiration and workspace for his painting. He often worked late into the night to the sounds and smells of trucks arriving at the old Fulton Fish Market, just two blocks away. Robert was a lifelong Raiders fan, eternally optimistic and fiercely loyal even after they left Oakland.

It must have been hard for him to leave his beloved New York, but in 1995, when an opportunity presented itself that offered greater stability and a wonderful climate, he moved to Miami. He loved South Beach and made his home on glamorous Ocean Drive. He made many lifelong friends, who to this day have his art hanging on their walls. In Miami, among other things, Robert ran a construction crew for Barton G Company. He travelled to events all over the country as a Production Manager, designing and executing murals, faux finishes and other artistic treatments for corporate events and lavish parties. In addition, he created one of a kind commissioned works for private homes in Palm Desert, California.

Always kind, he lived his life with determination, grit and optimism, especially in the face of his grave illness. He made the world a more beautiful place and will be missed. A private Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

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