Robert J. Lehner's Obituary
Robert J. Lehner, son of Irving R. and Bertha (Gold) Lehner, husband of Lisa Berlow Lehner, father of Isabelle Bronte Madeline, brother of Hon. Edward Lehner (Lois), uncle of Brynne Colter and Ivy Stahl, and loyal friend to many, died January 15, 2023 of complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Robert (Bob) grew up in Washington Heights, NYC, attended Columbia College (BA 1957) where he played baseball and basketball, earning the Blair Bat (highest batting average in the Ivies) in 1957. He played minor league baseball for the Cleveland Indians organization, before attending Columbia Law School (JD 1961). Robert’s distinguished public service included serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan and as Chief of the Homicide Bureau under District Attorneys Frank Hogan and Robert Morgenthau (1961-1976). He then served as the Deputy Chief Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Assassinations, where he led the investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1976-1978). Bob served in the U.S. Department of Justice from 1978 until his retirement in 2022, as the Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force (Miami) and then as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Bob was the moral North Star for all who knew him; his kindness, courage, humility, and integrity will be sorely missed and eternally remembered.
What’s your fondest memory of Robert?
What’s a lesson you learned from Robert?
Share a story where Robert's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Robert you’ll never forget.
How did Robert make you smile?