Robert Pierce Tolbert

On August 27, 1962, a little sandy haired boy was born to Charles Thomas and Rosa Earnestine (Smith) Tolbert. Robert eventually became the knee baby in this family of seven children.

Robert was very intelligent, but special. He was fiercely free-spirited, and once prompted our Dad to say, "Robert is the only person I know, who can go around the world on 50 cents!" On the other hand, if Robert sat still for more than a minute, you’d soon see him drawing something. Oh, how he loved to draw! Not long after he moved to Los Angeles, California, he connected with like-minded artists on Skid Row, where he was greatly loved and supported by that artistic community. Robert was actually a featured artist at the Skid Row History Museum and Archive, 250 S. Broadway St., L.A., CA 90012, in January 2018.

Although Robert grew up in Saint Paul AME and later Bethlehem AME, he accepted CHRIST later in life and became an active member of Fearless L.A. (618 S. Spring St., L.A., CA 90014, Pastor Jeremy Johnson) until poor health precluded his attendance.

Preceding Robert into eternal life were our mother Earnestine, brothers Leon and Nathaniel, sister Tonga, aunt Willie Mae Coklow, and both sets of grandparents: Thomas Henry and Lee Gressam (Echols) Tolbert, Milledge Smith and Ruth Levonia (Brown) Smith.

Left to celebrate Robert’s life are our dad, Charles Sr. (Mamie); siblings: Charles Jr. (Patricia) of Blakely, GA, Carol (Leon’s widow) of Riviera Beach, FL, Gwendylon Turner (Ron) and Nelson, both of Lancaster, CA; nephews: Travis (Jenene) of Dayton, OH, Sedrick of Riviera Beach, FL, Stephen (Jeanell) of Palmdale, CA, Nelson Jr. (Chandra) of Watertown, NY, and Charles III of Blakely, GA; nieces: Sonya of Albany, GA, Patricia Hansen (Ernesto), Annette, both Fayetteville, NC; and Michelle of San Diego, CA; great nephews and great nieces: Ali’i (AJ), Nanipua, and Peninamoana, all of Dayton, OH, Bernardo (BJ), Marcus, Derrick, all of Albany, GA, Jaiden, Trinity, both of Watertown, NY, Krystoffer, Izahk, both of Fayetteville, NC, Da’Jon of San Diego, CA, and Zakai of Palmdale, CA; also a host of uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.

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