Robert was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1933 to Harry Glenn Little and Mary Evelyn (Miller) Little. A challenging childhood that included the death of his father at age 2, the loss of his right eye in an accident at age 5, and the death of his older brother, Harry, did not shake Robert’s spirit nor dampen his desire to understand the world around him. He was a gifted student who skipped seventh grade and graduated high school at 17, going on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University in 1955. He completed his Master of Science (1959) and PhD (1962) in Theoretical Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

After appointments at Marquette University, UW–Madison, and Oklahoma State University, Robert joined the faculty of the one of the greatest institutes of higher education in the country (in Robert’s unimpeachable opinion), Michigan State University, in 1965. Thus began a distinguished 36-year career at MSU in which Robert helped establish biomechanics as a formal scientific discipline. In that time, Robert served as Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Chairman of the Department of Biomechanics, which he created. He cofounded MSU’s Biomechanics Evaluation Laboratory with his wife and colleague, Patricia Soutas-Litte.

Robert directed the Biodynamics Research Laboratory, bringing engineering insights into clinical and medical applications — analyzing human gait, joint loading, and orthopedic mechanics. In recognition of his work, Robert was presented with the Withrow Distinguished Scholar Award. In 1982, he held the distinguished Goldberg Chair at the Technion University in Israel, widely considered one of the top institutions for science, engineering, and technology globally. He authored six foundational engineering textbooks — including Elasticity and the Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics series — along with eight computational manuals and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles.

His academic legacy was not solely defined by scholarly contributions and field-forging discoveries. Robert believed in the power of learning and education, and in fact, teaching was his true passion. Among his many awards throughout his career, he received the prestigious Western Electric Award for Teaching Excellence in Engineering at age 33, a recognition by his peers. And later in his career, he won the highly prized Withrow Teaching Award, as selected by students. Robert took immense pride in being a teacher — a role that allowed him to guide and mentor 22 PhD students and more than 150 Master’s degree students. His dedication to empowering the next generation of engineers, researchers, and clinical experts earned him the MSU Distinguished Faculty Award in 1995.

For all that Robert accomplished professionally, it represents only a fraction of who he was as a person. To those who loved him, Robert’s brilliance was defined not by his technical knowhow but by his warmth, his mischievous sense of humor, and his devotion to being a husband, a father, and a grandfather. Robert was the father of five amazing daughters: Deborah Little (Dan Weymouth), Cathy Little (Dan Inman), Karen Wade (Tim), Colleen Harris, and Jennifer Little. In 1982, he married Patricia, and together, the two held each other’s hearts and souls in partnership for 44 years.

Robert loved being a dad to his daughters, and he loved watching them grow into the women they became. He did his best to connect with each of them as individuals and make them feel special, encouraging their unique passions, wherever they led them in life. He taught some of them the quiet joy of fishing and the enriching gift of travel, others the thrilling and heartbreaking love of MSU football, and all of them the wisdom to never take things too seriously.

Robert and Patricia fell in love with Leland, Michigan, and built the home of their dreams in the woods above M-22 with a view of the Manitou Islands. A library upstairs is packed from floor to ceiling with all the books Robert read, while Robert’s office included space for him to practice his art. From an early age, Robert liked to sketch, and he continued to draw through every decade of his life. For a man whose professional endeavors were defined by numbers and math, Robert knew that no life was complete without art. Or dogs. Robert and Patricia were the proud parents of a succession of wonderful golden retrievers, who were, unsurprisingly, named after famous mathematicians like Legendre and Christoffel. Their home forever twinkled gold thanks to their furry four-legged companions.

That Leland home became the idyllic backdrop for countless family gatherings, which included Robert’s beloved grandchildren — Kelsey Weymouth-Little and Mina Weymouth-Little (Stephen Macana); Daniel Inman (Kaylyn), Jennifer Scamacca (Vincent), and Angela Kampas (Nathan); Nathan Wade (Carmen) and Kirstyn Wade (Erik Love); Justin Harris (Chrissy) and Allie Harris (Sam Silverman); and Kayleigh Truman (Matt Kaminski). Nathan and Carmen gave Robert two great-grandsons (Lucius and Sonny).

Robert adored his grandchildren, and he poured his enthusiasm into their interests, talents, and dreams. He was happy to share his opinions and advice, of course, but he also always made time to listen, and he strove to understand and appreciate each of his grandkids’ unique qualities, too. Robert indelibly shaped the lives of his grandchildren, and they expanded his capacity for love and connection as well. Robert leaves behind a legacy of curiosity, thoughtfulness, good humor, and genuine love. He achieved life’s greatest purpose: to love unconditionally and to be loved wholeheartedly, which he was and forever will be.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of Robert’s life will be announced at later date.

Please share condolences with Robert’s family at www.martinson.info.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.