Obituary of Robert Storm Willis

A memorial service will be held Sat. April 14 at 11:00 AM at St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, 4801 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA. *************** Robert Storm Willis, a retired international banker, died on March 18, at home with his family in Springfield,VA. He died of heart failure at the age of 87. Robert was born September 26, 1924 in Flushing, NY. He graduated from St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH in 1942. During his freshman year at Princeton University, he enlisted in the Army. Robert served as a Master Sergeant, 37th Order of Battle Team with the “Wildcat” 68th Infantry Division under General Douglas MacArthur’s Eighth Army. His unit was stationed in Leyte, in the Southern Philippines and Aomori, Honshu, Japan. Robert graduated from Princeton University, Class of 1946, and majored in International Affairs with a specialization in French. He earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1948, followed by a degree from Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. Robert began his 33-year international banking career with Citibank in 1948. He worked in Puerto Rico, pre-Castro Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela and New York City. He traveled throughout Latin America fostering economic development and managing banking operations for public and private sectors. After retiring from Citibank in 1981, Robert joined the Merrill Lynch International Bank for three years. A longtime resident of Princeton, Robert was an active member of his Alumni Class, All Saints’ Episcopal Church and the Mercer County Republican Committee. In 2006, Robert and his wife, Del, moved to Springfield, VA. He was a member of St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, Annandale, and a founding member and Acting Commander of American Legion Post 123, Springfield. Robert was an avid painter, museum patron, bird watcher and traveler. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Del Svendby Willis, three daughters and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Anita (Tita) Willis Vivian and Adele (Skye) Willis Knowlton.