Robert Henry Tarr Jr. ’68

Robert Henry Tarr Jr. ’68 died on May 23 surrounded by family and friends in his home in Arch Cape, Oregon. Bob came to Dartmouth from Grant High School in Portland, Oregon, where he was a National Merit scholarship finalist and active in wrestling and student government. Dartmouth was a surprise, as he shared in the class 40th reunion book: “My first day at Dartmouth, I asked Doug Young [’68], ‘Where are all the women?’ (I hadn’t even read the catalogue and didn’t know Dartmouth was an all-male college).” Bob dropped out of Dartmouth in March 1966 and was readmitted later, graduating in 1982. As he noted, “Persistence is a virtue…don’t give up.” He shared his favorite memory: “At my graduation (June 1982) I had an aisle seat, and as the faculty recessed, Dr. Nakamura paused and said, ‘Congratulations! I just won 10 bucks off Sullivan betting you’d graduate this time.’ Then Dr. Sullivan paused and said, ‘Congratulations! I just lost 10 bucks to Nakamura, but it was worth it.’ ” After Dartmouth he attended the University of Washington 1985-89 to become certified in math and math education and became a high school math teacher. He also attended the University of Oregon in 1997. The loves of his life were wife Jan, his Bernese Mountain dogs, and teaching math to young people. Bob was predeceased by Jan; he and survived by four siblings and their spouses, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.