Robert Lee Stevens

Robert Lee Stevens, a quintessential Chicago adman who coined slogans tailor-made to stick in memories for years to come, died Nov. 18. He was 87. 

Born Aug. 2, 1937, Mr. Stevens was known as Bob to family and friends and “Sunshine” to classmates at Lindbloom High School where he graduated in 1955. He joined the Air Force upon graduation and was designated one of the youngest basic training instructors at Lackland Air Force Base.  

After his time in the military, Bob attended the University of Illinois at the Navy Pier campus, started his advertising career at Talman Home Federal Savings & Loan with “Talman Talk” and later joined Post Keyes Gardner in Chicago as a young account executive. After a few years, he started his own marketing communications company, Lee Scott Stevens in 1972.  He was instrumental in bringing to life a variety of Chicago-headquartered brands including “It Tastes Better” Brown’s Chicken and “Only Nature Can Make a More Perfect Spring” for Arvin Industries. More than a leading creative mind, Bob was instrumental in introducing consumer creative techniques to the marketing and communications needs of the business-to-business world he loved.  His passion for the arts in all forms, whether visual, dimensional, music and theater, as well as an enduring passion for the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordon era was shared with all he touched.

He is survived by his wife Kay Cruse Stevens; his sons Douglas and Curtis and their wives, Noreen and Laura; his stepdaughter, Lori Hinnant Sigal and her husband Peter; and his grandchildren Dakota, Matthew, Austin, Colten and Sophie Stevens, and Alexander and Claire Sigal.

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