Robert Valkers was born on October 30, 1916, in Kuldiga, Latvia to parents Anna and Fridrich. His earliest memories were of rural farm life and playing with his sisters Malda and Velta on his families farm and watermill. He fondly remembered the times of laughter among friends and teasing his sisters.

In 1938, while on break from Riga University, where he was studying mechanical engineering, he decided to take on his 15-month military service. Fortunately his tour ended before the start of the war, and he wasn't recalled to active duty. From 1940-1941, Latvia was invaded by Russian forces. Fortunately, he was allowed to finish his studies at the university. Many of his friends and classmates weren't as lucky.

Upon graduation, he got a job at an electronics Factory (VEF), which gave him his first practical mechanical engineering knowledge. While he was working, he was exempt from military service.

It wasn't until September 1944, when the Eastern front was reaching Latvia again, that he decided to join the German army to help save Latvia. His fluency in German enabled him to get along with his German comrades during training and eventually on the front lines. He fought in the Courland pocket from January 1945 to the war's final days as an artillery spotter with the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). On May 8th, 1945, he boarded one of the last troop ships from the Baltic coast. It was a harrowing journey, with the tugboat he was on taking on water and being continually attacked by Russian planes. He was able to find land in a British occupied zone and surrender.

As a Latvian, he was able to be quickly discharged from the German military and was able to move to a Latvian Displaced Persons camp that was near Neustadt, Germany. In the displaced persons camp, he taught mathematics to school children. Looking ahead to the future, he also began to teach himself English by reading spy and mystery novels along with his German-English dictionary. His fluency got the level that he was able to help translate for fellow Latvians with any English paperwork. It is also at this camp that he fell in love with the camp secretary, Karmen, who would soon become his wife.

In 1947, he and Karmen were able to move to Leicester, England as part of a program to help people displaced from the war. As part of the program, he was required to work in a textile mill, helping the engineer with his work. Soon after moving to England, he and Karmen were married in November of 1947.

They lived happily in England, finding a community of Latvians and having a daughter, Andra in October 1953. In 1957, after two friends had already made the move, he decided to follow and move to Montreal Canada with Karmen and his daughter Andra. They boarded a new Cunard Cruise liner and set sail from Liverpool for the seven day crossing.

With $300 in savings he was fortunate to stay with his close friends while he got settled. They helped him get a job as a draftsman at Redpath Sugar. He was able to buy a car, and he loved exploring Canada with his family. Taking trips to Cape Cod, Fort Lauderdale or weekend trips up in the Laurentian mountains where he would fish, hike and camp. They were able to sponsor Karmens parents into immigrating into Canada as well.

While at Redpath sugar he also became part of an Engineering Advisory team, allowing him to travel within Canada, the U.S and elsewhere. He advised companies and manufacturers on how to manage their systems. Traveling for work allowed him to visit Latvia for the first time since the war in 1978 (arranged through the Soviet travel agency). He got to reunite with his sisters and meet his nieces and nephews for the first time but wasn't allowed to visit his home town or see the graves of his parents. The reunion was in Riga.

In 1980 he transferred to Redpath Toronto where he assumed the role of Chief Mechanical Engineer. He then moved to Oakville with his wife. It allowed them to be closer to Andra, who was working in Toronto and living with her husband Ted. He made fast friends with neighbours, had pool parties and enjoyed their retirement. On one particular day a stray cat wandered into their home, not being able to find its owner, they adopted it. A neighbour was getting rid of a ping-pong table, which they took immediately, rekindling the love of the game. Tournaments with friends were regular. He also enjoyed making small, wooden airplanes to fly in his spare time.

It wasn't until 1989 on his second trip to Latvia that he was able to finally return home to Kuldīga to visit the graves of his parents and to see the places he once grew up in. In 1991 with the fall of the USSR, Latvia became free once again. He hoped that his family in Latvia would be safe.

In 1995, he was finally able to show Andra his home Country. He took her on a trip to meet her many cousins and aunts and to see the places he called home. Shortly after the trip, he lost his life partner Karmen to heart failure and moved in with his daughter and her family.

He helped take care of his grandchildren, picking them up from school, playing with their cat and teaching them how to play ping-pong. He enjoyed keeping up with world events, helping with school projects and continually writing. He lived with them until Andra's death in 2007 due to breast Cancer. Losing Andra was the hardest thing he ever faced, and with his relatives living in different cities he felt very alone. So, at age 90, he moved back to Latvia to stay with relatives in Saldus, finally being back in Latvia after so many years.

He lived a peaceful, quiet life there, taking walks and doing lots of writing, but Canada called to him and being away from his grandchildren in Toronto was difficult. At age 99, with his relatives in Latvia advancing in age, the choice was made for Robert to move back to Canada. His granddaughter, Kaitlyn helped move him back and helped set him up at a retirement home in Toronto.

His strength and determined spirit was always what was remarked about him by nursing staff and family who visited him. He was always able to find happiness in any situation he found himself in.

In the evening of January 30, 2025, after a final meal, he took his last sleep.

May he rest in peace.