Robert Allen Liden

Robert Allen Liden, 83, of Crown Point, Indiana, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, June 26, 2026.
Robert, born on January 22, 1943, devoted much of his life to education and public service. He began his career at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, where his love of learning and curiosity found a natural home. He went on to spend the heart of his career as a dedicated teacher with the Chicago Public Schools, shaping the minds and lives of countless students over the years. In his later years, he continued to give back to his community working part time at the Indiana Visitor Center, welcoming others with the same warmth and knowledge he had offered throughout his life. Robert also carried a deep love for horses, a passion he had to set aside when family life took center stage, though it never left his heart. It was fitting, then, that he met the love of his life, Deborah Speacht, at a horse ranch in 1969. From that moment, he and Deborah were inseparable, and they were married for 53 years.
Photography was a passion Robert and Deborah shared deeply. The two of them were never without a camera. While Deborah roamed everywhere chasing down family and friends for the perfect shot, Robert could be found in his basement studio spending countless hours getting the lighting just right, the two of them approaching the same passion from beautifully different angles. That same basement was also home to an elaborate train setup that was entirely Robert's own world. He poured extraordinary attention and detail into every inch of it, and his children joined him there, building alongside him, laughing together, and taking turns blowing the horn. Robert also found simple joy in playing his acoustic guitar, often settling into the couch at home to strum a few songs, a quiet pleasure that brought him great happiness. He passed that same love of music on to his grandchildren, hoping the joy of the guitar would live on in generations still to come. What began as hobbies became something much more, a place where memories were made and time seemed to slow down.
Robert was a devoted and present father in every sense of the word. He could be found cheering from the sidelines at his children's sporting events without fail, and he poured himself into their lives outside the home as well, participating in activities such as the Boy Scouts of America. To his children, he was not just a father but a constant and steady presence they could always count on.
Robert is survived by his children, Timothy Allen Liden (Tiffany) of Burleson, TX, Bridget Mae Liden of Dyer, IN, and Scott Eric Liden of Denton, TX; his grandchildren, Mitchell Allen Liden (Tiffany) of Lake Station, IN, Jessica Mae Night, currently attending a university in Missouri, Kendell Allen Liden (Libby) of Alvarado, TX, and Katarina Marie Marsden (David) of Burleson, TX; his great-grandchildren, Caius Winston Martius, Atticus Lincoln Martius, and Luke Walker Liden, Lillianna Joy Liden, Liberty Mae Liden, Kendell Brian Liden, Walter Thomas Marsden, Robin Emerson Marsden; his brother, Richard Edgar Liden (Jean) of North Waterboro, ME; and his brother-in-law, Donald Roy Speacht Jr. (Nanette) of San Pierre, IN.
Robert is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Deborah Mae Liden; his father, Edgar Helge Liden; and his mother, Elsie Wolf Liden.

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