Deceased October 31, 2015
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In Memory
Robert Webb passed away on Oct. 31, 2015. In writing this, I am saddened that the bulk of the information I have on his life comes from the words in his obituary, and electronic words at that. Much remains hidden. I don’t even know if he was still called “Spider.” I may try to find that out; if nothing else, that would be nice to know, as names matter.
Spider was a close friend. We were fraternity brothers in Psi U and were both active in house matters. Much could be said of those days, but not in this setting. I recall that he seemed somewhat conservative socially, a recollection possibly needing modification owing to my discovery of his active environmentalism later on. I last saw him at the 15th reunion, his only such appearance. Unfortunately, there has been no communication since. But I do know he did much that was important and that I have only scratched the surface. He began practice as one of 300 attorneys in a very large firm but moved on to a very small one of his own, where he specialized in environmental law and regulation of utilities. He became an expert on alternative energy sources such as solar and wind. He served for a spell as president of the Texas Renewable Electric Energies Association and was otherwise of general service to the Texas Bar Association. He taught graduate courses at the University of Texas and University of Houston and authored many scholarly articles on energy issues. This is a lasting legacy.
Spider and I would have much to say to each another had the forces that drove our lives pushed us into each other’s paths. A lesson learned.
Dusty Dowse ’66