TAUB ROBERT ALLAN November 25, 1923-March 7, 2016. Former Ford "Whiz Kid". Loved books, films, and photographs. On Robert A. Taub's 25th wedding anniversary, his wife, Doris, surprised him by revealing a cedar-paneled sauna that she'd secretly installed for him in the basement of their Dearborn, Michigan home. One day after telling his wife how much he loved her gift, Robert converted the sauna into a photography darkroom. Doris would later tell the story with a laugh, adding "I should have known." In 1950, following Robert's graduation from the University of Chicago Law School, Ford Motor Company hired Robert as one of its original "whiz kids." Robert worked the next 42 years at Ford, holding many executive positions, including his last position as Director of Corporate Affairs Planning. When not working at Ford, Robert pursued his three passions: books, films and his greatest love of all, photographs: • In 1966, then-Mayor Orville Hubbard appointed Robert to the Dearborn Library Commission, a position he continued to hold for the next 40 years, including the last 20 years as the Commission's Chairman. Shortly after his appointment as Commissioner, Robert helped secure funding to furnish and equip Dearborn's new state-of-the-art Henry Ford Centennial Library, which opened to the public in 1969. • In the 1960's, he founded and chaired the Dearborn Cinema Society, and, for the next 10 years, the DCS's many members met regularly to view and discuss both classic and modern films that were then, in those pre-cable-and-DVD days, largely unavailable to the general public. • While Robert loved photography his entire life, he began his serious study and collection of photographs in the 1950's. Although his collection became quite extensive, he remained fondest of one of his first "acquisitions"-an eight-image portfolio that he purchased directly from Ansel Adams in the early 50's for $200. "That was an enormous amount of money in those days," he'd say, "but Adams's images were so powerful, I just knew he'd eventually be recognized as the great artist that he was." In 2011, Robert donated his comprehensive collection of approximately 400 photographs-representing works spanning 150 years by photographers including Adams, Berenice Abbott, Eugene Atget, Richard Avedon, Wynn Bullock, Walker Evans, Andre Kertesz, Dorothea Lange, Eadweard Muybridge, August Sander, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston-to The Art Institute of Chicago, where museum visitors may now view many of Robert's photographs. Robert passed away peacefully on March 7, 2016, at the age of 92. He is survived by his son, Jonathan (Alicia) Taub; his daughter, Barbara Coady; his son-in-law, William ("Bud") Veazie; and his grandchildren, Matthew, Jessica, Delaney, Robert, and Noel. Robert was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Doris; and his daughter, Amanda Veazie. A memorial gathering will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 from 3-7 p.m. at the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home, 22546 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan 48124 (313-561-1500). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Amanda Taub Veazie Acquisition Fund, c/o The Art Institute of Chicago, Photography Department, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60603.