Edward "Rob" Robertson Mallard

Family and friends grieve the passing of Edward Robertson “Rob” Mallard on July 3, 2018, but celebrate a life of talent, creativity, intelligence, humor, athleticism, and faith. Rob was an
Atlanta native who attended Fernbank Elementary School, Druid Hills High School, Oxford
College, and graduated with honors from Emory University with a BA in English. He was awarded a Bobby Jones Scholarship for post-graduate study at St. Andrews University in Edinburgh, Scotland the following year.

Rob was known for his talent and passion in everything from the arts to athletics. He was a writer of poetry and short stories throughout most of his life. He was an actor in his teenage and early adult years having enjoyed lead roles in film and Community Theater. Also during that time, Rob became well-known within the jazz/rock community of Atlanta playing with proficiency the saxophone, flute, and guitar. Rob was also an accomplished singer with a rich baritone voice that one vocal instructor dubbed “a very unique instrument.” Of all music genres he might have been known to sing, he loved nothing more than the old gospel hymns and spirituals.

Rob’s early years were consumed by soccer having played from childhood for the mighty
Fernbank Falcons, through high school, for Oxford College, until being selected as the only
“Yank” to make the St. Andrews school team during his year as a Bobby Jones Scholar.
However, as with music, he became proficient at multiple sports through college and his early adult years including basketball, tennis, swimming, and what he called “the Zen of all sports,” golf. But throughout, his underlying athletic love was baseball. Having never played baseball in his early years, Rob set out in his mid-30’s to satisfy his childhood longing to play. Within a year, Rob had been drafted by an adult Atlanta club team, and competing against life-long baseball players earned a spot on the team’s starting pitching rotation. In more recent years he could frequently be found with his son on the little league fields of DHYS, and his enthusiasm for his hometown Braves might be evident from any room of the house during a televised game.

Rob was a lover and critic of film from an early age. As a vocation, he became immersed in the growing film industry of Atlanta. He worked in various areas of production on a myriad of projects from full-length feature films, to Indie projects, to commercials, always with the ambition of producing his own works. He was known by others as an effective and tireless co-worker and manager who could lighten the mood on any set with his humor and quick wit.

A life-long member of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, Rob was deeply committed to his faith from the time he was an ever-present member of the Glenn youth group and youth choir. His greatest expression of faith could be found in his singing, but he would discuss his faith as readily as he might the highlights of the latest Braves game.

Rob is survived by his wife, Karen; son, Edison, age 9; and daughter, Elena, age 4. He was predeceased by his father, Bill Mallard, and is also survived by his mother, Gatra Mallard; sister, Winn Mallard; brother, Reid Mallard; sister-in-law, Alison Mallard; and nephews Charlie, Chapman, and Bo Mallard.

A service memorializing and celebrating Rob's life will be held at 11:00AM Saturday, July 28 at Glenn Memorial UMC, 1660 North Decatur Road, Atlanta with a reception to follow. Please consider emailing or bringing to the service a written memory or reflection celebrating personal experiences of Rob’s gifts and talents. These are to be included in a scrapbook for his children. Email to ReidMallard@yahoo.com.

A memorial fund has been established to support the immediate and on-going needs of Rob’s family. A gift of any amount will be cherished. https://www.gofundme.com/rob-mallard-in-memory-in-support

Rob loved, and was loved by so many. He would often make you think, and could easily make you smile. He will be missed terribly.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.