Sen. Robert Tileston Gannett

• “One of his friends, Jack Burgess, said that ‘roasting Bob Gannett is like trying to roast Mother Teresa.’ Bob was that kind of guy. He’ll be missed by the town in ways that many of the people in town don’t realize yet. He was such a great advocate for Brattleboro.” (1)

Rutland Herald Gannett dies in Brattleboro August 26, 2012

BRATTLEBORO — Former longtime Windham County state Sen. Robert T. Gannett, considered by his peers “the conscience” of their chamber, died here Sunday morning exactly one month shy of his 95th birthday, from heart complications. Gannett, a direct descendant of Brattleboro's namesake, General William Brattle, served four terms representing Brattleboro in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1953 to 1960, and ten terms representing Windham County in the Vermont Senate from 1973 to 1992.

Gannett was born to a prominent Boston, Mass., family on Sept. 26, 1917, and attended grade schools in nearby Milton before graduating from Harvard University in 1939 and Harvard Law School in 1942.

Gannett married Sarah Alden Derby — granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt — in 1941 and came to Brattleboro in 1946 after completing four years of military service as a field artillery major in the U.S. Army.

Gannett served as a past president of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital; director of the National Life Insurance Company and United Way of Windham County; and trustee of the Vermont Community Foundation and Brattleboro Retreat. He also was an avid golfer, fisherman and Boston Red Sox fan.

Gannett’s wife “Aldie” died in 1999. The couple is survived by one daughter and two sons.

Senator Robert T. Gannett Receives 2011 Anna Marsh Award

The Anna Marsh Award was established by the Brattleboro Retreat in 2009 to recognize individuals for their advocacy on behalf of people with mental illness. Gannett served on the Brattleboro Retreat Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1981.

• “Throughout Bob Gannett’s incredible career he has been steadfast in his commitment to helping people in need live better lives,” said Robert E. Simpson, president and chief executive officer of the Brattleboro Retreat. “This award is our way of recognizing his many contributions to the community, to the Brattleboro Retreat, and to the patients we continue to serve thanks to his vision and compassion.”

Citations

1. A tribute to the late state Sen. Robert Gannett of Brattleboro September 2, 2012

Sources

1. The Roosevelt Women By Betty Boyd Caroli. Page 373
2. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/RutlandHerald/obituary.aspx?n=Robe...