Steen, Robert
STEEN, Robert Adam
Robert Adam Steen, 60, of Doraville, GA, passed away on November 12. Beloved partner of Jutta Schlicker-Martinez, devoted father of Lisa Steen and husband Dan Schimpf of Los Angeles, CA, beloved brother of Elizabeth Steen and husband Kevin Reich of Boston, MA, and Janet Steen and husband Mark Donato of W. Shokan, NY. Loving uncle of Manny and Eva.
Robert was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Marjorie and James Steen. He earned a B.A. in English from Oberlin College, an M.A. and Ph. D in East Asian Literature from Cornell University In 1991, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study in Japan. A lifelong learner, he earned a Master's Degree of Instructional Design from the University of Edinburgh in 2020.
For the past 25 years, he taught Japanese language, literature, and culture at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, progressing in the faculty from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, ending with the highest rank of Full Professor. He served as Division Chair for 8 years and Program Coordinator for Oglethorpe's Japanese minor. He was a member of the Foreign Language Association and the Association for Asian Studies. He received Oglethorpe's coveted meritorious teaching award in 2006, has given presentations nationally and internationally, and published numerous articles. In addition to his responsibilities at Oglethorpe, he was a founding member of the Board of the International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAG.)
In glowing testimonials to his legacy, his students and colleagues described him as a devoted, innovative, and inspiring teacher and advisor possessed of infinite patience and a wonderful sense of humor. He shared his passion for Japanese culture by organizing groups of students to attend Japanese cultural festivals, restaurants and events, and also led memorable trips to Japan. Though he was a widely respected scholar, his focus was always on his students, facilitating their learning while guiding and cheering on their accomplishments. Many former students describe Steen Sensei as having made a transformative impact on the trajectory of their lives and careers.
He was an avid chess player, a jazz lover and audiophile, a volunteer dog-walker, an active member of his beloved Doraville community, a photographer, an urban explorer, a travel enthusiast, an active advocate for social justice and a supporter of DACA students, a collector of watches, a student of German language, and a dancer of salsa and Argentine tango.
He will be forever missed by his family, friends, neighbors and pets, as well as the Oglethorpe community.
Funeral arrangements are private. The family is coordinating with the Oglethorpe University community in planning a memorial service to take place in the spring of 2021. Donations in his name can be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center or to Oglethorpe University's Student Scholarship Fund, Oglethorpe.edu, and please indicate: In Memory of Prof. Robert Steen in the comments section.
