Robert Harold Talent passed away in Live Oak, Florida, on September 7, 2026, after a long illness. He was born on an unusually cold and snowy day to James William Talent and Ella Smallwood in Anson County, North Carolina. Known as “Bob” to his friends and “Rabbit” to his family, Bob grew up exploring the woods and fields surrounding his family’s farm in Anson County, North Carolina. Faith and a relationship with God were an important part of Bob’s life. He was born again at the age of 12 and lived the rest of his life serving Christ as a godly husband, father, brother, friend, and neighbor. His kind nature, generous spirit, and forgiving nature will be long remembered by all those who knew him – he was a living example of what it means to be a Christian.

Bob’s innate curiosity and sense of adventure led him away from Anson County when he joined the Navy in 1957 at the age of 17. That following Christmas Eve, Bob met Bernice Adcock at a Christmas party while he was on leave. Love grew over the years, and they later married on June 20, 1964. Together they built a strong, loving family during the decades that followed. They were blessed with three children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren over 62 years of marriage. His family was his greatest love and pride.

The Navy introduced Bob to mechanical engineering, the sea, and California. He quickly became depended upon by his fellow sailors and known for his ability to assess and solve problems. His willingness to innovate and adapt, coupled with a strong aptitude and love of technology, formed the foundation of a lifelong career in mechanical engineering. After active duty, Bob joined the Navy Reserves as part of the Seabees. He retired as Senior Chief Petty Officer in 2000. Throughout his life, he remained incredibly proud of his time spent in service of his country.

Bob spent his career figuring out how things worked, how to fix them when they didn’t, and how to redesign them to perform even better. This led him to jobs as a fireman and in the water department in Wadesboro, North Carolina, and later to the heating/cooling industry in Florida and Arizona. He joined the United States Postal Service in the late 1980s, where his love of learning grew alongside technology. While there he designed improvements and wrote computer code for automatic sorters, which led to several awards from the USPS. Bob was a lifelong learner and graduate of Central Piedmont Community College (Charlotte, NC), and several Naval and professional/technical development certificate programs.

His sense of adventure led Bob to earn a private pilot’s license in 1979, and he enjoyed hours spent among the clouds. Weekends would find him leading family nature walks, packing his kids off to the beach, or even cheerfully tolerating hot days at theme parks and county fairs. Bob enjoyed reading, both for pleasure and to his children. He never stopped seeking knowledge.

Bob is survived by his wife, Bernice Talent (Adcock); siblings William Talent, Ray Talent, Maxine Loftis, Betty Freeman, and Barbara Haywood; children Roseanna Talent (Todd Gallups), Rachel Talent Ivers (John Ivers), and John Robert Talent; grandchildren Anthony Siefker (Tamra), Taylor Siefker (Mary), Anderw Siefker (Alexis), and Avery R. Ivers; and great-grandchildren Anna Rose Siefker, Roman Siefker, Kingsley Siefker, Cash Siefker, Robin Siefker, Annabelle Siefker, and Theo Siefker. He was preceded in death by both parents and his siblings Frankie, Henry, Eddie, Earl, and Louise.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Bob's memory to provide clean water in Africa. Please contact Bernice or Rachel for details. There will also be an opportunity to donate at his celebration of life service.

A private family service was held and Mr. Bob was laid to rest in Live Oak Cemetery.

Please take a moment to sign the online guestbook and keep Mr. Bob's family in your prayers.