ROBERT WALTER URBAIN's Obituary
Robert Walter Urbain was born in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, Illinois on July 14,1945 to Ruth Lindahl and pioneering food scientist Walter Urbain. He grew up in Western Springs, Illinois and excelled in both his studies and football, playing center position at De Pauw University where he received a BA in Political Science. He then completed an MBA degree at USC in Los Angeles where he met his bride to be, Bernadette (Babette) Lamoglia. The two married in Bernadette's home city of Paris, France in 1969.
Robert (Bob) started his international Consumer Goods career with General Foods (now Kraft Heinz and Mondelez) in White Plains, NY shortly after his marriage. During his time at General Foods he successfully launched numerous household products such as Crystal Light and Kool-Aid, which are still popular today. He helped to grow the business internationally, relocating for a time to Europe with his family. After his success at General Foods, he took on numerous leadership roles at various companies such as VP of Marketing for Dole, SVP of Marketing for Tropicana, and CEO of Boots Healthcare International.
Robert was famous for his great sense of humor, integrity and kindness. He had an infectious smile and loved helping others. One of the highlights of his life entailed collaborating with his father on setting food standards and policy for the World Health Organization and International Atomic Agency. In his free time, he enjoyed playing tennis, fishing, table tennis, coaching children’s sport teams, playing guitar, and spending time with his family at their homes in Wilton, CT and Paris, France.
Robert succumbed to complications from Alzheimer’s disease on March 11th in Miami, Florida after spending several years in retirement in France. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Babette, along with their three children (Christa, Andrew, and Eric) and three grandchildren.
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