SCOTTSVILLE, Va. – Robert Lee Talbott Sr. of Scottsville, Va., went to be with his loving God on March 27.

In 2004, Bob and his wife, Dorothy, returned to his native and beloved Virginia, where they lived in Scottsville with their son and his daughter-in-law, Bob and Shelia Talbott, and their children.

He was born on June 20, 1923, in Petersburg, Va. He was the sixth and youngest child of Mary E. (Pettus) and Cabell L. Talbott. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawhon, helped Bob’s mother raise her children with much love.

He received a scholarship to attend high school at Blackstone Military Academy in Virginia. In 1940, he left high school at the age of 17, before his graduation, and he joined the U.S. Navy to fight in World War II. He served on the first ship to be torpedoed, the USS Stone, in the invasion of North Africa, during which he was wounded.

He married his soul mate, Dorothy Celestine Westcott, of Wellesley, Mass., on Aug. 23, 1946, at St. John’s Church at the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C. They met in Washington, D.C., during the last days of World War II while they were serving in the U.S. Navy.

He lovingly called his wife “Betsy” and they shared 59 wonderful years of marriage before his sweetheart died in 2006. Together they loved and raised their four children: Robert L. Talbott Jr. of Scottsville, Va., Anne Marie Talbott of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Virginia Lee “Ginnie” (Talbott) Waryas of Burlington, Vt., and Elizabeth “Bonnie” (Talbott) Santos of West Minot.

In 1948, he chose to leave the service of the U.S. Navy and he joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving at numerous overseas and stateside posts. He retired after 26 years of military service having reached the rank of first sergeant.

He was awarded the following military honors: two awards of the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, six awards of the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Navy’s Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, with two Arrowhead devices and one Battle Star, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, plus one Presidential Unit Citation, one Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Combat Infantry Badge.

His second career was as a military science instructor. He was the only senior noncommissioned officer authorized by the ROTC Command to be a senior Army instructor at a public high school, a post normally reserved for a field grade officer. He taught in many public schools in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Tennessee. At each school he became a trusted mentor to many students and he directed many award winning junior ROTC drill teams. He was recognized for his dedication to his students by a special proclamation by the Assembly of the State of Tennessee. Many of his students remained in touch with him throughout his life.

He enjoyed smoking cigars, and reading his daily newspapers from the front to back.

In 1986, he and Dorothy moved to Jay, where they happily spent 17 years of their retirement in Dorothy’s native New England. They created several beautifully terraced gardens together at their home on Marcello Street, where they hosted many summer family reunions for their children and their 10 grandchildren: Victor Waryas, David Talbott, SPC Shawn Shreves, Benjamin Santos, Marieclaude Waryas, Starr Waryas, Robert Kahn, Christopher Kahn, Colleen Talbott, and Robert “Lee” Talbott, III.

On March 4, he became a great-grandfather for the first time when his grandson Victor’s and his wife, Beth’s, twins, Sophia Rose and Samuel Victor Waryas, were born in New Hampshire.

He is survived by his brother-in-law, James Westcott; one sister-in-law, Kitty Westcott in Massachusetts; his son-in-law, Bud Santos of West Minot; Susie Burchfield of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; his good friend, John G. Coolidge of Livermore; and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was a life long member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Masonic Lodge. In Holliston, Mass., he served as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout Scout Master.