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Robert Frank Tinney, of Washington, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at River Oaks Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on February 1st, 2026, at the age of 78.
Born November 22, 1947 in Penn Yan, New York, Robert moved at a young age with his parents, Ellis and Ruby, and his younger brother, Bill, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
At Istrouma High School, Robert distinguished himself as an accomplished artist, even at a young age. He generously donated his services for every conceivable project that would benefit the school and the students. From Istrouma, he took with him an honors diploma, life-long friendships, and a focus on artistic expression to Louisiana Tech University to study illustration and graphic design in commercial art.
After graduating from Louisiana Tech, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. While in the service, he used his free time to establish an editorial cartoon service. For years, his humorous and insightful editorial cartoons were seen by millions of readers in more than 100 newspapers every week. Robert then began an unusual career that was at the forefront of both the work of art and the world of computers. Beginning in the early 1970’s, his art donned the covers and pages of some of the best known computing publications in the world, most notably BYTE Magazine. His ingenious and humorous depiction of computers in those early days remain enjoyable even decades later. Due to his signature artistic style, the name Robert Tinney soon became synonymous with the rapidly-growing world of computing technology, and remains so to this day.
A deeply caring husband and family man, Robert is survived by his devoted wife of 48 years, Susan, three children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Married in 1978, Robert and Susan lived and worked in Baton Rouge until 1987, when they moved to Washington, Louisiana, where they restored an historic landmark home, the Crawford House. For over four decades, Robert and Susan served and nurtured their beloved community with open arms, and were rewarded with priceless family memories and an exuberance of rich, cherished friendships. Robert’s philosophical intellect, refreshing humor, and profoundly sympathetic nature will be sorely missed by his loving family and a wealth of loyal friends and admirers.
A celebration of Robert’s life was held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 12, 2026 at Historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, Louisiana.
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