Robert Emmett Rottman, 1948–2024
- Apr. 07, 2025
Robert Rottman ’71 liked to fix things. He liked to make things work. Whether it was a malfunctioning appliance, cracked crockery, a balky computer, or home maintenance, Robert strove to make it right. Robert kept his cars running, computers humming, and wind-up clocks ticking. Sadly, no one could fix his lungs. After 25 years of fighting against granulomatosis with polyangitis (Wegener’s), he died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his bereft family, on May 5, 2024, at Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI.
He entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1966. He rowed bow on the UW crew team and completed Navy ROTC. Robert graduated in 1971 with a degree in mechanical engineering and was commissioned into the U.S. Navy. He later earned an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.
His wife, Barbara, was by his side since the third day of freshman orientation week. They were married on May 29, 1971, and resided in Fitchburg since 2008.
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