Early on the morning of May 23, 2026, Robert “Bob” W. Lebling, Jr., 79, passed away in relative peace at home, after fighting a prolonged gastrointestinal illness.
Born March 7, 1947 in Bethesda, Maryland, Bob was the eldest of six children. He is preceded in death by his father, Robert W. Lebling, Sr., and mother, Rita Walsh Lebling. He is survived by his wife Linda, and daughters Brittany and Sara, grandchildren Sebastian and Vivian, siblings Linda, Kathy, Betsy, Chris, and Michelle, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A lifelong world traveler, army veteran, writer, and dear friend to many he met along the way, Bob was never more at home than when he was alone with a book and a black coffee. We will miss him dearly now that he’s embarked on this last adventure, and know he would remind us that “until death, it is all life.” – Miguel de Cervantes.
He has asked that there be no service.
8 Responses
I met Bob in Saudi Arabia where he worked with my husband, Ted. We enjoyed his company at many Thanksgiving dinners and regular Aramco English Publications gatherings. Bob’s positive outlook and his international awareness made him a savvy colleague and friend. His contributions to international business communications between the US and Saudi are noteworthy. He will be remembered.
Bob Lebling was a wonderful hiumble man. We were classmates at prep.
I spoke with bob on phone over the years.
I was a year behind Bob in grade school, high school and college and always looked up to him. Brilliant, engaging, kind, a perfect gentleman. May he rest in peace.
Also a year behind him at Prep and friend to sister Linda. A wonderful man.
Bob graduated top of our class at Prep. I think his gentle brilliance intimidated some people. But whenever we didn’t know the answer to some question or problem, the phrase that always rang out was “Ask Lebling. “
His friendship was a gift to be treasured and which enriched the lives of all of us.
Bob was a very smart and entertaining fellow at Prep. I always enjoyed being with him. I knew he was headed for an interesting life.
Greg Powell
Bob and I were classmates at Prep, and we played golf together many afternoons, which of course involved many conversations on our walks down the fairways. He was indeed brilliant, and also humorous, self-deprecating and lighthearted. Never an unkind word, and always a pleasure to be around. RIP.
I was a classmate of Bob’s both at Lady of Lourdes and Georgetown Prep. As others have remarked, he was a serene, brilliant and thoughtful man. We were in the same “Den” at Lady of Lourdes Cub Scouts. Most of all, I recall spending countless hours in his back yard as a kid, where there was a huge dirt pile that kept us busy digging trenches and tunnels. Somehow, we managed to survive all the the deep tunnels we built! Such a great guy!