Robert Steven Ochsner

Robert S. Ochsner, age 75, passed away on February 6th, at his memory care facility in Berkeley, CA, in the presence of loved ones. He died from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Robert was born and raised in Seattle, WA, as the second oldest of 6 children to Patricia & Robert H. Ochsner. He spent his youth playing on the banks of the Puget Sound, writing poetry, playing sports, and begrudgingly working at his Dad’s used car lot. As a young man, he briefly considered forging a life as a Catholic priest or as a tugboat captain but instead pursued passions in both writing and teaching. This path led him down a lifelong career in higher education.

He received his BA in English Linguistics from Western Washington University (1971), MA in Teaching English as a Second Language from UCLA (1977), and PhD in Applied Linguistics from UCLA (1980).

Robert first met his wife, Nancy, while studying abroad his sophomore year (1969-70) in Bournemouth, England. They reconnected after graduating from their respective undergraduate programs and moved to Los Angeles together to begin their graduate studies. They were married in 1974. While working on their doctoral degrees, Robert traded in his dream of pursuing a teaching career in Alexandria, Egypt for the role of new father to his daughter, Allyson. After Robert completed his PhD in 1980, the family moved to Maryland where he settled in as an Associate Professor of English at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. A couple of years later, while on sabbatical to write his first book, he welcomed his son, Nathan. They made a home for many years in Ellicott City, MD with the addition of Nancy’s parents.

In various research and administrative roles, Robert worked throughout his career to advance the teaching of writing. His other self-described professional interests were related to cultural diversity, adult literacy, natural-language acquisition, and the politics of post-secondary institutions. Early in his career, Robert was known for his effective advocacy on behalf of non-tenured colleagues to senior leadership. Mid-career, Robert took a leave of absence from UMBC to serve in temporary leadership positions for other academic programs throughout the country, including: Fayetteville State University and CSU-Monterey Bay. In 2005, he and Nancy left Maryland to become founding faculty members at the University of California, Merced. Both were drawn to the school’s mission of expanding access to higher education for underserved populations. He served as the Director of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities & the Arts and of the Writing Program until his retirement in 2016. He is the author of many publications related to writing pedagogy, including the books: Rhythm & Writing (1989) and Physical Eloquence and the Biology of Writing ( 1990).

Robert wore the persona of the cynical intellectual well, but beneath that grumpy, aloof exterior lay a well of thoughtfulness and a spirit that was –depending on your perspective– either annoyingly or delightfully goofy. He was the inventor of going for ‘chocolate, vanilla or strawberry dips’ in the swimming pool with his kids and was a constant source of teasing & silly nicknames for those he loved most. An introvert by nature, Robert found his recharge in solitude and long runs; he was a dedicated jogger into his late sixties, unfazed by weather that left icicles clinging to his beard. He was also fueled by music of all kinds– knowing many classical & operatic symphonic melodies by heart –but when the music stopped, he was tuned into NPR or broadcasts of his favorite baseball teams: the Orioles, Mariners, and the Giants. While he found watching games on TV “incredibly boring,” he was a hands-on fan who collected cards, practiced with his kids and even founded a youth baseball league for his son. Robert was both messy and deeply sentimental, amassing vast piles of books, CDs, coins, running shoes and boxes of papers (so many papers!). His closet was a time capsule of threadbare 1970’s corduroy pants, cardigans, and the requisite costume of the academic: tweed blazers with elbow patches. He drank a lot of tea, packed his pockets with kleenexes and developed a palate for weird stuff, like: black licorice or candy corn. His students enjoyed his vintage sartorial choices, his humor and intelligence, as well as the complete freedom they were given to explore their creativity. Robert’s children also enjoyed a fair amount of autonomy, with the exception of having to play an instrument or a sport until age 18. Robert would offer guidance when asked, but greatly valued his and others’ independence. He advocated for fairness and equity in both his work and home life, as well as encouraged his family to confront their fears and stand up to bullies. He even took great pains to teach his young daughter how to throw a proper punch. He also forgot to pick her up from Kindergarten once and she will never forget it.

The Pacific Northwest was more than a place to Robert, it was the landscape of his soul and often declared the best place on earth. He was a tireless ambassador of the Puget Sound region, finding a quiet, poetic beauty in the region’s endless shades of gray. To Robert, it was never raining– it was merely “misting.” Though he longed to return to his Washington roots in his later years, his heart kept him exactly where he was needed: providing care for his wife during her long battle with Alzheimer’s. Even as he eventually faced the same diagnosis himself, Robert’s spirit remained undimmed. In his final years, he moved through the world with a profound sense of joy and wonder that made every moment in his company a gift. He leaves behind a legacy of resilience and wit, and is deeply missed by his family, friends and caregivers.

Robert is survived by Nancy Ochsner, his wife of over 50 years; his daughter, Allyson Ochsner, son-in-law, Trent, and granddaughter, Elise; his son, Nathan Ochsner, and daughter-in-law, Courtney. He also leaves behind his siblings, Linda Ochsner, James Ochsner, Kathryn Bartkowski and John Ochsner, as well as many nieces, nephews, and their children. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Carol Ochsner.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Family Caregiver Alliance, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, or a caregiver’s resource organization local to your area. A service will be announced in the near future.

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