Robert Gerald Hartmetz was born in Rochester, New York on May 10, 1934, the oldest of two children. He graduated from East High School in 195? and achieved an Associate's Degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. In 1957, Robert was drafted into the United States Army and spent the next two years stationed at a Nike Missile Site at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. Bob married Joan Burton in 1959 and they had two sons, one of whom is the CEO of Starry Night Publishing. Robert also worked for The Eastman Kodak Company for 36 years, retiring in 1991. He has spent more time sampling what Gettysburg has to offer, than most of the people who live there.