Robert Eaton Fellows, known lovingly to many as Bert, Daddy-O, Pops, or Gramps, was born on November 5, 1940, in Miles City, Montana, and passed away on September 1, 2026, in Paducah, Kentucky. He lived a life marked by purpose, curiosity, creativity, and devotion, and he leaves behind a legacy that continues to inspire everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
Bert was the son of John Liberty and Marion Belle Fellows. He was the younger brother of the late Stewart Fellows, and the devoted older brother of his beloved sister, Elizabeth “Beth” Byers. He spent his childhood in Brainerd, Minnesota, growing up on one of the state’s famed 10,000 lakes, where he enjoyed an adventurous and spirited youth. Those early years helped shape the thoughtful, energetic, and determined man he would become.
He was an avid reader and a lover of learning, and he carried that hunger for knowledge throughout his life. Bert graduated from Washington High School in 1958 and went on to complete his undergraduate studies at St. John’s University, where he pursued psychology, anthropology, and sociology. He later began graduate study in clinical psychology at the University of Boulder before earning his graduate degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1968. He believed in growth, in healing, in discipline, and in the power of education to open doors and deepen understanding.
In 1963, seeking purpose and adventure, Bert joined the Peace Corps. During his service in Bolivia, he became fluent in Spanish and worked in the leprosarium in Los Negros. It was there that he met the love of his life, Evelyn Dunn, a petite, wise, and witty nurse whose compassion matched his own. Their friendship quickly blossomed into love, and Bert and Evelyn were married in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1965. Married for 15 years, they welcomed three children and remained best friends for over 60 years.
Bert’s professional journey reflected both his intellect and his heart for service. He and Evelyn moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where he taught at a community college. They later moved to California before Bert accepted a position at the Mental Health Center in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1972. He served there until 1990, and then continued his career at the Pain Management Center of Paducah for more than two decades. He played an important role in the early development of the Pain Physician, the official journal of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), where he served as the journal’s first Editor-in-Chief and later as Managing Editor. He was also the Pain Management Center of Paducah Director Emeritus of Psychological Services. He led with insight, steadiness, and a deep respect for the dignity of others.
Bert was also an abstract artist and a world-class master pizza maker, a craft he learned through his parents, who operated Liberty Belle Pizza and House of Pizza. He brought creativity into everything he touched, whether through art, food, work, or conversation. He also traveled abroad to Costa Rica for respite and adventure, as well as to Rwanda, Nigeria, and Ghana to work in community health education. He lived with an open mind and an open heart, always ready to learn, to serve, and to contribute. He was generous with his time, analytical in his thinking, and creative in his spirit. He approached life with curiosity, purpose, and a quiet strength that left a lasting impression on colleagues, friends, and loved ones alike.
Family was central to Bert’s life. He loved his family deeply and cherished his time with them. Those who knew Bert will remember a loving, creative, and passionate man whose legacy lives on in the many lives he touched through his work, his travels, his art, and above all, his family. He showed that a meaningful life is built one choice at a time, with courage, compassion, and commitment. Bert’s example remains a powerful reminder to live fully, give generously, and leave the world better than we found it.
Bert is survived by his two daughters, Michele "Sissy" Seay (Joseph) of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Marie Patterson (Joe) of Bowling Green; one son, Sean Stewart Fellows of Paducah; one sister, Elizabeth Byers of Clarksville, Indiana, ten grandchildren, Brittany Bir (Matt), Olivia Fellows, Haleigh Denton (Mark), Gabriella Miller (Stephen), Susan Seay, Ashley Seay, Abigail Seay, Kellen Patterson, Brady Patterson, Sophie Kate Patterson; eight great-grandchildren, McKenna Bir, Maelyn Bir, Roscoe Bir, Sylvie Bir, Elodie Bir, Elias Miller, Noah Denton and Emerson Denton, one nephew, Tony Byers, two nieces, Sharon Marshall (Byers), and Becky Byers, and Michelle Fellows, whom he loved like a daughter.
He was preceded in death by one brother, John Stewart Fellows; one great-granddaughter, Hattie Bir; and his parents.
Visitation will be held on Friday, September 4, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Milner and Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah, with the Reverend Joe Patterson officiating.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Create Global Healing. 2424 DeLavina St., Suite B. Santa Barbara, CA 93105
In true Bert fashion, feel free to wear your favorite Hawaiian, tie-dye, or African attire.
You may share a memory of Bert or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com
