Robert William Taber, Sr., age 46, passed away peacefully at Bethany House in Auburn, AL on December 19, 2012, with his wife and family by his side.

Born to Albert and Ellen Taber on January 28, 1966, in Decatur, Georgia, Robert graduated from Redan High School in Stone Mountain in 1983 and received his BS from Auburn University. He married Mary Kennedy in 1991 and together they raised their family in Woodstock, Georgia, and Montgomery and Auburn, Alabama.

Robert was the owner of Advanced Insulation Technology and was an active member of the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Auburn where he sang in the choir and on the Praise and Worship Team. He spent several recent summers traveling with his sons and church members to build soccer fields and other projects at Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras. A devoted husband and father, Robert loved the Lord, his family and his friends. He was not only a father to his children but a father figure to his nieces and nephews and a role model to many of the men in his life. His greatest pleasure was in surrounding himself with the young people of his family and church, teaching them the love of God through fishing, hunting, and camping. He was always generous with this heart, his time, and all that he had.

According to close family friend Tricia Blackwell, Robert was a man of dignity and honor. Everything he did in his everyday life was to bring God glory. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Mary Kennedy Taber; three sons, Robert William, Daniel Austin, and Alexander Lyle, and one daughter, Emily Elizabeth. He is also survived by his parents Albert (III) and Ellen Taber; three siblings, Tony (Debi), Teresa Doughty (Randy), Albert (IV); two brothers-in-law, Joey Kennedy (Elizabeth), Allen Kennedy (Tana); two sisters-in-law, Connie Nease and Lisa White (Jim); and many nieces and nephews as well as a community of close friends.

Visitation will be held Friday, December 21, 2012 from 6-8 p.m. CST at the Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home 1500 Frederick Road, Opelika, Alabama. Funeral service will be held 2 p.m. CST Saturday, December 22, 2012 at Trinity United Methodist Church with Reverends Gary Spooner and Gary Sanders officiating. Burial will follow in Town Creek Cemetery. Flowers will be appreciated or memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home & Crematory is directing. www.jeffcoattrant.com