April 17, 2019
Tampa, Florida – Robert E. “Bob” Vaughn passed away on Saturday, April 13, 2019. He was 61 years old.
Bob first joined Butler in 1997. He then left the Firm to work in-house with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, where Bob continued his work with the Firm as a client. Bob eventually returned to the Firm as a partner in 2016. Prior to joining the Firm in 1997, Bob was a bankruptcy litigation specialist, and while with us, he remained a source of assistance on complex bankruptcy issues. But over the years, Bob came to enjoy coverage litigation with great fervor and immense passion. He was a creative and savvy litigator. He was a lawyer’s lawyer, who absolutely loved the practice of law. All who worked with Bob will recall Bob’s fun-loving personality, his dry wit, and his sharp mind. He loved his colleagues and will be dearly missed by all of us at Butler.
Bob was equally passionate about his family. His daughters, Grace and Madeline were a source of great joy and pride, as were his grandchildren Ellis and Lane. He was especially pleased that his daughter, “Maddie” decided to become a lawyer, knowing that another Vaughn would be serving the legal community for many years into the future. Bob also maintained a close friendship with his former-wife, Vinnie, who remained a source of strength as he bravely fought the illness that took his life.
Joyce Jacobs, his legal assistant and friend for many years said, “Bob was one of the finest men I have ever known, and the world is a poorer place without him.”