Robert W. Lougee

Robert Wayne Lougee, age 100, of Storrs, CT passed away on Saturday, July 6th, at Windham Hospital in Willimantic, CT. 

A native of Reading, MA, Robert (Bob) Lougee was the youngest son of Carl Lougee and Lillian Lougee (Moore).  After attending local schools in Reading, he received a B.A. in history from Brown University in 194l and Ph.D. in history from Brown in 1949.  Bob joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut in Storrs in 1949 as an instructor in the History Department, and later became a full professor, head of the History Department, and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences before retiring from the University in 1984.  

After completing his undergraduate studies, he joined the Army following the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as an artillery officer (First Lieutenant) in Europe during World War II, including the Battle of the Bulge.  After the War, he worked briefly for the Chamber of Commerce in Laconia, N.H., where his parents then resided, before beginning his graduate work in Providence, R.I. 

In addition to being a distinguished professor and author of scholarly books and publications, Bob was president of UConn’s Faculty Senate and actively involved with the University’s administration, working closely with the President’s Office and Board of Trustees, including chairing the committee that recruited candidates to succeed former presidents.  

Bob married Grace Hayes Lougee, of West Bridgewater, MA on October 24, 1941.  They were married for nearly 77 years before her death in August 2018 at age 97. 

He also was a devoted husband and father.  He especially enjoyed the family’s annual summer vacations in New Hampshire during the 1950s and 1960s, a place where he had spent many days during his youth hiking and camping in the White Mountains as well as boating on Lake Winnipesaukee and surrounding lakes.  He was a life-long member of the Appalachian Mountain Club.  In later years he also enjoyed spending time with family and friends at his summer home in Quonochontaug, R. I., where he served for a time as president of the Quonochontaug East Beach Association. 
 
Bob also had a passion for the outdoors and nature, including quiet walks in the woods, fields or seaside trails where over time he learned to identify and enjoy a wide variety of trees and plants, birds and bird calls, animal species, rocks and minerals, cloud formations and much more.  He was also a member of the National Audubon Society and American Ornithological Society.  In addition, Bob was the consummate scholar with a lifelong zeal for learning.  He read widely outside his field in such subjects as mathematics, physics, music and art, often reading in five languages including Greek and Latin up until the final week of his life.  

Bob is survived by his two oldest children, Lorraine Lougee of Bethesda, MD and Robert W. Lougee, Jr. and his wife Mary of Hopkinton, MA, four grandchildren, Loren Guertin (Thom), Robert W. Lougee III (Rachel), Jennifer Morris (Nick) and John Gabriel Schneider (Yue Wu), six great-grandchildren (Grace, Haley, Carly, Zachary, Leah and Taylor), as well as numerous other family members and friends.

Besides his wife, Bob is preceded in death by his second son, John M. Lougee, who died at age 6 in 1963, his brother Carl Lougee (Gertrude), nephew Barry Lougee (Glena) and niece Becky Lougee.   

Private burial services will be held on Saturday, July 13th, at Storrs Cemetery with the Rev. Matthew Emery, senior minister of the Storrs Congregational Church, officiating.  Funeral arrangements are being handled by Potter Funeral Home in Willimantic, CT.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:  Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. 

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