Robert was born to the late Walter and Alma Lilley on May 18, 1938 and died on March 31, 2020. He attended the Philadelphia Public Schools in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and graduated from Northeast High School in 1956. He received degrees from Camden College in Blackwood New Jersey and the Community College of the Air Force.
Robert retired from the U.S. Government in 1997 and served as an information systems program analyst for the Internal Revenue Service in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He managed multimillion-dollar contracts that procured all of IRS’s mini and microcomputer systems within the IRS Mid-Atlantic Region. Before that, he served as a telecommunications specialist for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He engineered and designed the telecommunications infrastructure for multiple states’ Federal Buildings within the GSA Mid-Atlantic Region. Before going to GSA, he was the communications manager for the 111th Fighter Wing at Willow Grove ARF Pennsylvania and managed all ground communications operations and maintenance within the facility.
He also served 30 years in the United States Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and retired in 1985 as a telecommunications superintendent. Prior to working for the Government, he was the senior bench technician for Muntz TV and repaired televisions and mobile radios. He held a General (First Class) FCC License and Amateur Radio License. He began his career in electronics as a member of the Junior Engineer’s Club at Vaux Junior High School in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. After retirement, he liked to tinker with computers, administer his home network and prepared income tax documents.
Robert rededicated his life to Christ and was baptized at the Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Burlington New Jersey.
He is predeceased by his parents; his brother Rev. Clarence Lilley; his sister Doris Marie Blount; his sister-in-laws Iris “Cathy” Butts, Emma Jean Ridley, Margaret Murphy, Patricia “Patty” Williams, Victoria “Vicky” Cottman, Sarah Gardenia Lilley and his brother-in-law Will Blount and longtime friend Leonard “Lenny” Davis.
Robert leaves to cherish fond memories: his loving wife Mary “Sherri” Cottman Lilley of Atlantic City; step son Alvin Waters (Joanne) of Willingboro; step daughter Anitra Waters of Philadelphia PA; step sons James “Scooby” Bettis (Torina) of Atlantic City and Johnnie “Pint” Bettis of Winston Salem NC; sisters-in-laws Tillie Mae “Tee” Sonera, Bertha Cottman and Lena Cottman of Atlantic City, Gloria Jones (Fred) of Atlantic City and Vernay “Nay” Cottman of Galloway; brothers-in-law Richard Murphy of Egg Harbor Township, Israel “Bubba” Cottman, Jr. of Harrisburg PA; special nephew Clarence Mujahid Ali of Montclair; special niece Denise Ann Lilley-Stewart of Philadelphia PA; special niece Sarah Gardenia Jordan of Rutherford NJ; longtime friends Henry “Fris” Frisby (Marie) of Philadelphia PA, Ronald “Mort” Oliver (Anna) of Sicklerville, Florence Davis of Bronx NY, and a host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, loved ones and friends.