Robert (Bob) L. Bright, PA, 83, son of the late Florence Elizabeth Watson and Lionel Duffel Bright, died peacefully on August 17, 2024, in Providence RI, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his beloved wife Anne Paulshus Bright, his two loving children Karen and Erik, his dear sister Barbara Wojnowski, his three grandchildren, Carina Wattum Glende, Kai Hellmann & Odin Rafaelian Bright and his great grandchildren: Lita, Lidvin & Adina.
He leaves behind his nephews, nieces and an extended family in Norway & The United States that will miss him dearly.
Born in Dover DE, Bob grew up in the Philadelphia area with his fondest childhood memories being with his grandmother Eva Watson in Chads Ford. After graduating in 1958, he joined the Air Force and served 4 years in Taipei. Then in 1963 he joined The Foreign Service and served his first tour in London where he met his beautiful wife Anne at a dance hall. They were married in Norway among her family in 1965 and they remained a devoted, loving couple for 60 years as they traveled around the world together.
Bob served 33 years as a Diplomat in The Foreign Service which included 29 consecutive years abroad. He served The U.S. Department of State in London, N’djamina, Maputo, Tehran, Freetown, Brussels, Dakar, Pretoria, Lagos, Bogota & Amman. During those many years, he played a part in the transition from the Cold War into the post Cold War landscape which encompassed a period of revolutionary change in diplomacy and communication technology. Most notably, he was the recipient of The Jacob Rogers Award from the Dept of State.
He spent his summers in Norway which became a second home to him. He enjoyed hiking in the Norwegian mountains, taking in their beautiful panoramic views and picking the many berries and mushrooms the landscape offered. Bob was an avid sports fisherman, talented golfer and gifted craftsman who made unique fishing poles. He distinguished himself sail fishing in Senegal on 5lb test and taught his children and grandchildren that to make fishing a sport, one has to always give the fish a fighting chance. He didn’t believe in Golf Carts and Mulligans and he lived his life that way. He enjoyed drinking the coffee beans he roasted and he was an astute literature and film critic. In many of the posts he was assigned, Bob started exceptional video libraries for the viewing pleasure of those who served.
Perhaps one could best describe Bob the way his neice’s husband Larry put it… “He was a tremendously interesting man! Everyone always felt more knowledgeable after talking to him.”
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