Robert Lewis Klee

Robert (Bob) Lewis Klee passed away on June 22, 2026, at the age of 73.

Bob was born on June 30, 1952, at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, to parents Marie and Howard Klee. He received his B.A. from Oakland University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Bob taught philosophy at several universities before arriving at Ithaca College in 1989, where he taught philosophy until his retirement in 2021.

Known for his animated and humorous teaching style, he taught thousands of students in courses such as Symbolic Logic, the Philosophy of Science, and the Philosophy of Mind. Bob's scholarly work focused on those same areas of philosophy of science, with publications exploring scientific explanation, the relationship between complex systems and their underlying physical parts, the nature of delusion, cosmological arguments, and astrobiology. Bob authored numerous philosophy publications throughout his career. In 1997, Bob published an Introduction to the Philosophy of Science: Cutting Nature at Its Seams, a clear and lively explanation of key concepts and issues in the philosophy of science, which became a popular undergraduate textbook at numerous colleges throughout the country.

Bob was predeceased by his parents, Marie Klee and Howard Harold Klee. He is survived by his brother, James Howard Klee, Jim's wife, Claudia, and their daughters, Kristen Klee Brinkley and Jennifer Klee Pittman.

Bangs Funeral Home in Ithaca, New York, is assisting the family.