Robert W. Quesal, PhD
May 16, 1952 – January 14, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our cherished colleague, Dr. Bob Quesal.
Many of our readers recognize Bob as the co-author of the OASES™ and the Minimizing Bullying program. We know him as a dear friend with whom we shared countless good memories, both in and out of our professional work. We share reflections and memories with his loving wife and fellow SLP, Donna, and his entire family.
Bob’s contributions to the field are truly groundbreaking (please follow the links in this paragraph and below). Throughout his career, he championed the voices of people who stutter, from his earliest writings that reminded speech-language pathologists not to forget people who stutter, to his longstanding studies on the life experiences of people who stutter, to his frequent appearances as the expert on the StutterTalk podcast, his video for STR's own Stutter Voices, to his final articles highlighting the importance of “empathy” in EBP.
We will never forget Bob’s quick wit and ready smile. No matter the topic, Bob could always be counted on for an insightful take or a sharp critique (or both), accompanied by a hearty laugh. We used to say, “Bob says out loud what the rest of us only dare to think!”
Even when lamenting the state of the field, he did it with a twinkle in his eye. This is why Nina’s nickname for Bob became “the curmudgeon teddy bear.”
Some of our fondest memories include late nights at ASHA or NSA conventions, brainstorming about funny names for the OASES, and complaining about people who simply didn’t “get it” about stuttering and just wanted every person who stutters to be the same.
Mostly, we enjoyed just hanging out together and sharing the camaraderie that goes with lifelong friendships. We will miss those times dearly.
Bob challenged us to be our best and to do our best on behalf of people who stutter. We will continue to take those lessons to heart and do our best to make him proud.
Thank you, Bob, for your lifetime of commitment and friendship. We will miss you every day.
Bob’s obituary can be found here.
Some additional reflections on many contributions to the stuttering community and the field of speech-language pathology can be found at the links below:
University of Iowa remembers Dr. Robert Quesal
The National Stuttering Association remembers Dr. Bob Quesal (Instagram)
The National Stuttering Association remembers Dr. Bob Quesal (Facebook)
