Alexis Gilbert Robert

Alexis Gilbert Robert
Born	March 12, 1922 Hell-Bourg, Réunion
Died	April 11, 1995
NSA member	France ???? - ????
ABM	Africa 1957 - 1964 Europe 1986 - 1988
Counsellor	Africa 1989 - 1994

Alexis Gilbert Robert (March 12, 1922 - April 11, 1995) was a Réunionese Bahá’í who served as a Continental Counselor for Africa, an Auxiliary Board member for Africa and Europe and also on the National Spiritual Assembly of France.

Biography

Robert was born into a Catholic family in Hell-Bourg, Réunion, in 1922. He attended school in Réunion and Madagascar and became disillusioned in Catholicism during his education due to the conduct of a professor who was a Priest. In 1939 he moved to Madagascar from Réunion and in 1942 he enlisted in the Free French Forces and in 1945 was posted in Vietnam where he became an atheist due to his experiences in the military.

In 1948 Robert returned to Madagascar and in 1949 he married a woman named Daisy. After they had their first son Robert began investigating religion and attending Theosophy meetings and through the Theosophists he was introduced to Bahá’í pioneer Mehrangiz Munsiff meeting her for the first time on July 25, 1953. He attended study classes facilitated by Munsiff for a time but in September he decided he would stop seeing her as he felt he was not going to become a Bahá’í however she lost her accommodation in Madagascar and Robert decided to offer her a place to stay. Robert and his wife both became Bahá’ís on December 27, 1953, while Munsiff was staying with them.

Munsiff departed Madagascar in January 1954 and Robert assumed responsibility for teaching the Faith in the country. He was working for a large store and his position involved frequent travel allowing him to visit towns and villages across the country to teach. In 1955 the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Tananarive (now Antananarivo), the capital of Madagascar, was established with Robert being elected its first chairman and in 1957 he was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Propagation in Africa. He traveled extensively as Board member visiting Bahá’ís in Madagascar, the Comoros, Réunion, and Mauritius and served in the role until he moved to France in 1964 due to the political situation in Madagascar.

Robert served on the National Spiritual Assembly of France for eleven years while living in the country. In his personal life he began studying naturopathy and received a doctorate in the subject in 1977. He was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Europe responsible for France in 1986 and served in the role until November 1988 when he retired and returned to Réunion where he began writing poetry, stories for children, and naturopathy articles. In October 1989 he was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa by the Universal House of Justice, due to the passing of Counselor Roddy Dharma Lutchmaya in September that year, and he was appointed for a five year term in 1990, but retired as Counselor in April 1994 for health reasons.

In April 1995 Robert passed away after suffering an illness and the Universal House of Justice issued the following message after his passing:

"DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DEVOTED SERVANT BLESSED BEAUTY GILBERT ROBERT. HIS VALIANT SERVICES FAITH IN MADAGASCAR, IN FRANCE AND IN REUNION IN PROMOTION TEACHING WORK AND IN VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS FAITH, NOTABLY HIS MEMBERSHIP CONTINENTAL BOARD COUNSELLORS AFRICA, UNFORGETTABLE. ADVISING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY UGANDA HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING HIS HONOUR IN HOUSE WORSHIP KAMPALA, AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES INDIAN OCEAN HOLD BEFITTING GATHERINGS THEIR COMMUNITIES. CONVEY SYMPATHY DEAR MEMBERS HIS FAMILY, ASSURANCE LOVING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS LUMINOUS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.