Robert was born in Montana and was the eldest of 14 siblings. Starting at a very young age, he became a protector to his 13 siblings and remained a protector his entire life. He made countless sacrifices such as giving away his college fund when he was 12 to help support the family without any complaint. His unflinching courage to do whatever a situation called for without expecting anything in return, his unwavering devotion to his family and friends and finally his generosity to the sangha across the decades is what drove him. He came into this world as a protector and it was his path as a bodhisattva in this life. Connecting with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in the late 70’s gave his life the meaning and ground he was searching for. When he retired in 2010, he tremendously appreciated the opportunity to focus his time and energy on practicing the dharma wholeheartedly and doing many solitary retreats. Despite his humble beginnings, he never spent much on himself and instead focused on giving to the dharma and to other worthy causes as part of his bodhisattva vow. He was a steady beacon of light for many lonely and distraught beings in this world.