Memorial services for Mr. Robert Dale "Bob"Hatcher, Sr.,of Cartersville, Georgia, will be conducted at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Saulters Moore Funeral Home Chapel, 2714 Columbia Ave., Prentiss, Mississippi. Inurnment will follow at the Carson Cemetery. Mr. Hatcher, age 86, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2026.

The family will begin receiving friends at 10:30 am Saturday morning at Saulters Moore Funeral Home.

Bob was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1939 to Rupert “Pert” Fountain Hatcher and James Robert “Pete” Hatcher of Wilkinson County Georgia. Bob and his younger sister Anne Hatcher graduated from Wilkinson County High School. Following high school, he attended the University of Georgia, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Forestry. His love for forestry became a defining part of his life and career, and he went on to become a partner, mentor and friend to many throughout the forestry profession. Bob moved from Athens, Georgia to Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 1966, where he was a professor of Geography and Cartography at the University of Southern Mississippi. While in Hattiesburg, His love of forestry and timber management drew out of academia to become a partner in James M. Vardaman Company. Bob helped Vardaman Company grow into the largest consulting forestry firm in the United States, with over thirty offices.

Bob returned to Georgia and made his home in Marietta and Big Canoe, where he founded various forestry and land investment firms including Hatcher and Associates. This work of which he loved took him all across the country and around the world. His knowledge, experience, and willingness to share what he knew made him a valued mentor to many in the industry. Bob also served as National President of the Realtors Land Institute and US President of FIABCI, contributing his leadership and expertise to the organizations and the land profession.

Bob was married to his loving wife Sandra Broome Hatcher of Mississippi, who preceded him in death in 2012. Those who knew Bob will remember him not only for his professional accomplishments, but for the trusted and reliable person that he was. Bob was a natural storyteller with a wealth of knowledge and love for history that could turn any ordinary conversation into a memorable one. He never met a stranger and had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcome. His stories, humor, generosity, and genuine interest in others brought people together and created friendships that lasted a lifetime.

Bob is survived by his son, Dale Hatcher of Cumming, Georgia, and daughter-in- law, Cindy; his daughter, Kimberly Hatcher George of Woodstock, and son-in-law, Greg; his son James Hatcher of Lawrenceville; and his four grandchildren, John Thomas Hatcher of Cumming, Katelyn Olrich of Ball Ground, Austin Hatcherof Dawsonville, and Audrey George of Atlanta, and by four great-grandchildren: William, Lily, Sawyer, and Jaimie. Bob leaves behind his loving family and a community of friends and colleagues who will remember his stories, his wisdom, his generosity, and the many lives he touched as a father, grandfather, mentor, teacher, and friend.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to the Realtors Land Institute Land Education Foundation                                       through the link formed for him below.

https://e.givesmart.com/events/QiA/

Online condolences and a guest registry are available at www.saultersmoorefuneralhome.com