Dr. Robert Eugene Toohey, Jr.
Dr. Robert Eugene Toohey Jr., age 86, a retired history professor, died Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Bridgepointe at Ashgrove Woods. He was born December 28, 1935 in Paris, son of the late Robert E. and Mabel Ruth Smart Toohey. Bobby was a graduate of Paris High School, received his Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown College, and his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. He was a former long-time member of First Baptist Church in Paris and was a member of Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington.
Robert is survived by three nieces, Elizabeth C. (Jack) Gillette, Susan C. (Shannon) Durham, Anne C. (Bill) Ferring; and great nieces and nephews, Will and Zeke Gillette, Becca and Katie Durham, and Ally, Emily, and Andy Ferring. A sister, Jane Toohey Clay, preceded him in death.
Visitation will be 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 28, at the Hinton-Turner Funeral Home. A private burial will follow in the Paris Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Second Presbyterian Church, 460 East Main Street, Lexington, KY 40507. www.hintonturner.com
Dr. Toohey, as we all called him, was Professor of History, teaching at Elizabethtown Community College within the University of Kentucky College System, at the time in 1979 when I attended his class. He was extremely serious about his work. I remembered reading he was a gifted child who graduated early and went on to earn his doctorate. Dr. Toohey was well known for his long lectures which he recited from memory without notes or a pause in his presentation. His reading assignments for homework would take an entire weekend. His test exams were thorough and detailed. He dressed every day in a fitted suit and tie at a time when others began the fashion of casual wear at school. He was “old school” and commanded the respect and attention of his pupils. Everyone at school during this time knew of him and talked about him even if they had never set foot in his classroom. I have thought about him many times over the years and wondered what became of him.