Robert E. Hightower

Robert E. Hightower, 78 of Marietta died on Tuesday, August 21, 2012. Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 25th at Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta with Rev. Adrian Pleus, Rev. Scotty Davis and Dr. Ernest Easley officiating. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Shirley Hightower of St. Simmons; daughter, Kimberly Hightower-Hulsey & husband, Bobby of Studio City, CA; two sons, Robert E. Hightower, Jr. & wife, Kelly of Houston, TX; Lance Hightower & wife, Angela of Dallas, GA; one sister, Wanda Eibling of Highpoint, NC; eight grandchildren, Bobby Hightower, Brett Hightower, Ty Hightower, Devin Hightower, Sidney Scothorn, Spencer Scothorn; Skyler Barrett, Ashley Christian; two great grandchildren, Chase & Riley; nieces & nephews. Mr. Hightower was born May 7, 1934, in Havana, FL. He entered the US Navy in January 1952 and served as a member of Underwater Demolition Teams 2 & 21. He worked with the Identification Division of the FBI for about a year and served with the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Police Department for almost seven years. Bob came to Georgia in 1963, working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for about nine years and achieving the rank of Captain. He was appointed as the Public Safety Director over the Cobb County Police Department in 1972. Bob became the first director over the Cobb County Department of Public Safety in 1993. Retiring from Cobb County in May 1999, he accepted an appointment from Gov. Roy Barnes as Colonel of the Georgia State Patrol. In 2000, Hightower was appointed to the newly-created position of Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. In late 2001, he became the first Chairman of the Georgia Homeland Security Task Force as part of his Department of Public Safety responsibilities and he served Gov. Barnes in these positions until March 2003. Mr. Hightower attended Wesley United Methodist Church in St. Simmons, Georgia. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in his name to the Navy Seal Foundation, 1619D Street, Bldg. 5326, Virginia Beach, VA 23459 e-mail: info@navysealfoundation.org. or to the Navy Seal Museum, 3300 North Hwy. A1A, Ft. Pierce, FL 34949 web: www.navysealmusuem.org or call 772-595-5845, ext. 202. Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home & Crematory in Marietta will be in charge of the arrangements. www.mayeswarddobbins.com

Robert E. Hightower

May 7, 1934 - August 21, 2012