A native of Greencastle, Indiana, Robert Lyon was an involved member of his community. Growing up, he played baseball and basketball in his town league and honed his golf skills. Like many boys his age, he had an afternoon paper route. What separated him from his peers was his penchant for finance and philanthropy. Even from a young age, he never hesitated to extend a hand to his friends and neighbors. And at the advice of his grandfather, he began learning the arcane language of the Stock Market and made his first investment when he was 10 years old.

After graduating high school, he received a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School. He worked as a strategist and economist at First National Bank of Chicago, before joining ICAP as a securities analyst in 1976. He then spent seven years with Fred Alger Management in New York, prior to returning to ICAP in 1988 as Director of Research. In 1992, he assumed the role of CEO and CIO. In 2005, Lyon received the industry’s highest honor, The Morningstar International Fund Manager of the Year for the ICAP International Equity Fund. The stock market was his passion, but his family was his life. A devoted father of five and husband, he always put his children and wife first. From the moment he walked in the door at the end of the day, his focus was always his family.

He was known by his children as a dedicated and fun loving father, whether helping with homework or playing horse in the driveway—where he would famously chant H-O-O-S-I-E-R B-O-Y after making a great shot, an homage to his Indiana roots. His love and support were unconditional, always encouraging each of his children to be themselves, explore their interests and pursue their passions.

A lifelong learner and voracious reader, Lyon valued education most of all, believing it was not only a link to an improved financial footing but also the way to better understand people and the world. He was involved in a number of local educational charities and spent his weekends ingraining the importance of education in his own children.

As his success in the business world grew, so did his efforts to give back. He helped develop a scholarship in Putnam County Indiana to assist local students pursuing post-secondary degrees, served as a trustee with the YMCA and Lekotek, helped create a new center for the Sunshine Gospel Ministry, and was deeply involved in mentoring Chicago youth. He established the Lyon Family Foundation to ensure that his dedication to philanthropy would continue on as his legacy.