Robert Steele Harlowe

Robert Steele Harlowe, 81, died on Saturday, March 12 in New Orleans, LA while in hospice care.   He had lived in New Orleans for over 30 years.  

Robert was born in New York on August 6, 1940 to Jack and Margaret Harlowe.   He attended Mount Hermon prep school and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  While at Dickinson, he participated in track, football and lacrosse and served as president of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. He graduated in 1962 with a bachelor of arts degree in History and Government.  In February of his senior year, Robert married fellow senior Elizabeth Ann “Betsy” Graham.  They had two children, Brooke and Graham, born in 1962 and 1964 respectively.  

The primary focus of Robert’s professional career was in personnel management.  He held related positions with Lord and Taylor; HJ Wilson, First National Bank of Commerce, and Southeast Bank before finishing the last 15 years of his career with Drake Beam Morin, Inc.   His work took him from the Philadelphia area to Chicago, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Miami and finally back to New Orleans.  

Robert took up golf while still a youth in Houston, Tx and it remained a passionate interest of his throughout his life.   He participated annually in the Red Hook Golf Club member-guest tournament with his brother Thomas where their matching outfits never failed to intimidate the other teams.   He enjoyed a round with the same group every Sunday in New Orleans for years.  Robert served on the executive committee of the non-profit ForeKids foundation and was a regular volunteer at the Zurich Classic golf tournament. 

Robert is survived by his first wife Betsy Towle; daughter Brooke and son-in-law Stanley Berard; son Graham and daughter-in-law Katie; brother Thomas and sister-in-law Vinnie; and first cousins Eleanor (Brewer) Lydon and William Brewer.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Margaret, and second wife, Sarah Letisha (Tish) Harlowe, who passed away in 2014. 

Services will be held at the Dapson-Chestney Funeral Home, 51 W. Market St., Rhinebeck, NY on Saturday, March 26th at 11AM. Burial will follow in the Elizaville Cemetery.

Donations may be made to the ForeKids Foundation, http://www.zurichgolfclassic.com

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