"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."     -Proverbs 4:18

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."       - Philippians 4:8

Robert Willis departed from this life to his eternal resting place on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 after a long illness. Throughout this tribulation he remained spirited, sound of mind and unwavering in his dedication to his faith and family.

Robert was born on December 7, 1943, in Washington D.C. to the late Rev. Jesse J. Willis, Sr. and Mattie Willis-McCarter. A native Washingtonian, Robert attended Calvin Coolidge High School 1961in the district where he was both an exemplary student and athlete. His God-given athletic talents were rewarded with a scholarship to Howard University, where he was an indispensable member of the Bison football team. After receiving his Bachelor's degree from Howard University, he was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs into the NFL, while simultaneously being drafted by the United States government to fight in the Vietnam War.

Robert served as a 1 ^st lieutenant in the United States Army during the Vietnam War where he showed tremendous courage and leadership towards his fellow soldiers; traits that were usually attached to him by anyone who spent time, worked with, or got to know Robert on a personal level.

After his military service, Robert came back to the Washington D.C. area to pursue his newfound passion for law, an area in which he estimated he could impact the most change for his community and family. He was accepted into the Howard University School of Law where he excelled tremendously and graduated with his Juris Doctorate degree in tax law. After his graduation he worked for multiple tax law firms in Ohio and Connecticut. During that time span he met Joyce Prather and the two eloped; from this union a child was born, Marcellus Willis.

He then began his own law practice in Washington D.C. and went onto receive notable accomplishments due to his phenomenal work product. He became one of the first black tax attorneys in the DC Metropolitan area and his law office also dealt with injury settlements as well. He also became the first black Insurance Commissioner for Washington D.C. During this time, he remarried to Anita Roberts, and from this union two children were born, Ryan and Joshua. He remained active in his legal work until early 2019 when he was semi-retired. He was also a board member for Ameritas Inc. and DC Guaranty Life Association.

Robert's life motto was "when the going gets tough, the tough get going". This statement is definitely reflective of his diligence and drive to put in maximum effort into anything that was reflective of his name, whether that be his family, work product or his passion for trying to master his short game on the golf course. He lived a very enriching and full life and was a perfect example to those around him of what hard work and having a good sense of morality can provide.

Robert leaves to mourn his passing: His two sons, Ryan and Joshua; his brother, Jesse; his sister-in-law Karen; his nephews, James, Butch and Sterling; his niece, Solitaire; his ex-wife Anita; and a host of other relatives and many friends.