The Reverend Dr. Robert Kimball—Tillich scholar, seminary president, deeply thoughtful and visionary educator, and beloved mentor to a generation of UU ministerial students—died at age 88 on 29 May 2017.

Early in his career, Bob Kimball became a close student of the work of theologian Paul Tillich, who appointed him, at age 31, to be his literary executor, a role Bob filled for nearly thirty years.

Robert Charles Kimball was born on 6 June 1928 in Rochester, NY, to parents Frederick Booth Kimball and Marguerite Steinmiller Kimball. He earned a B.A. in psychology from Oberlin

College (OH, 1951), an M.A. in philosophy from Oberlin Graduate School (1953), a B.D. from Oberlin Graduate School of Theology (1955), and a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of religion from Harvard Univ. (MA, 1960).

After service as a religious educator to United Church of Christ congregations while still a student, the Rev’d Dr. Kimball began nearly four transformative decades of teaching theology (but really a formational counselor) on the Starr King faculty (1959–98), including many years as the school’s president (1968–83) and dean (1983–97).

His profound personal influence is legendary in the memory of students. Michelle Tonozzi recalls “the radical YES [that he spoke] to each student for their most authentic self.”

In individual student conferences, recalls Keith Kron, “Bob often saw two layers below the [surface] problem or question.” And Barbara Pescan adds, “He cut out the extraneous. He saw through lies, even when they were self-effacing, or denying some sadness: ‘Do you always laugh when you mean to cry?’”

Robert Kimball is survived by children Seth, Jeanette, Amy, and Paul, plus six grandchildren, and is revered by scores of Starr King School graduates.