A LIFE OF PURPOSE AND PASSION

“To everything there is a season … a time to be born, and a time to die … a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

-Ecclesiastes

The life of Robert R. Neumann, 59, of Winnetka, was celebrated recently at Am Shalom in Glencoe. A high-performance athlete, he collapsed on April 18 while cycling along Lake Michigan.

A standing-room-only service led by Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein resonated with memories shared by his cherished family— including brother Michael Neumann; his four beloved daughters, Alexandra, Samantha, Barbara, and Emma; and his devoted wife, Roni Moore Neumann.

Hundreds of people were in attendance to honor Rob, including his 91-year-old mother, Margita Neumann, plus dozens of extended family members. Attendees at the service also included classmates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Chicago, and Kent College of Law along with lifelong friends from the North Shore and throughout the country.

Neumann was a nationally recognized expert in energy, utilities, and telecommunications. For more than three decades, Neumann was a trusted advisor for global companies and start-ups. His consulting practice included a well-established global network of industry colleagues. He was a sought-after speaker at industry conferences throughout the world.

For nearly a decade, Neumann helped lead a group at Navigant Consulting with peers he admired greatly, and more recently, he was with NextEra Energy—a leading clean energy company and owner of Florida Power & Light, America’s largest electric utility.

“I first met Rob about 25 years ago at a small energy efficiency consulting firm where we both worked. I liked and admired Rob right away; he was sharp, nice, and energetic,” says Randy Gunn, former Managing Director, Navigant Consulting. “Over the years, I tried to convince him to come to work at another firm I helped start; he accepted my appeal about 10 years later to join Navigant Consulting, which had acquired my company. Rob helped lead our largest piece of work and I greatly valued his drive, focus, and expertise. In fact, I had lunch with Rob the day before he passed. He was as full of energy and enthusiasm as he ever was. I was especially shocked to hear this sad news. I will truly miss Rob, as will his many trusted colleagues.”

Neumann’s parents, the late Dr. Marcel and Margita Neumann, are from Prague and the former Slovakia, now Slovak Republic. Given their life trajectory, most importantly, surviving the Holocaust, then life in Israel, they spoke fluently—sometimes concurrently—a range of languages, including Czech, German, Hungarian, Russian, and Polish. Their rich life experience fundamentally shaped his outlook and worldview.

With an eclectic and innate intellectual curiosity, Neumann’s interests spanned European Art, American history, Lake Michigan shipwrecks, sustainability, and all things Chicago. He loved music, from Beethoven to Bob Marley to the Beatles. He also played piano and more recently, the accordion. Family travel was a must, with weekend adventure hikes to Lake Geneva and Madison, and longer trips across the country and to Europe.

A member of Exmoor Country Club for nearly 20 years, Neumann was at the head of the table for standing Sunday family dinners. He enjoyed swimming laps at the pool and cheering on his daughters at swim meets.

Most of all, Neumann loved his family and life in Winnetka. His four daughters thrived in the Winnetka schools, and he loved cheering them on at New Trier Symphony concerts, Concert Choir performances, and cross country meets. While they were in grade school, Neumann reveled in giving back to the community by coaching AYSO soccer teams.

“Rob was a great friend, and I have very fond memories of coaching our daughters’ AYSO soccer team together. Rob was always so positive and committed to helping players at every level develop their skills,” says Roger Hochschild, former CEO, Discover Financial Services. “Rob was a true renaissance man with many interests—from his watch collection to Chicago history— but always took the time to support and appreciate the interests of others.”

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “It’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your years.”

Neumann’s life exemplified this, leaving an enduring impact on those fortunate enough to have known him—a legacy of passion, kindness, commitment, and love.