Robert Couvillon (Couv)

[AfterDark]

Couv will be missed. He was the real deal always willing to help others and a well of knowledge. RIP Couv.

 

[Open Ocean Diver]

 

[dolesorchard]

Robert was a very dear friend to my wife and I. We met 11 or 12 years ago on a trip to Cozumel with Luis Heros' vintage diving group. Until 2019 we were going to Cozumel with the group every year, pretty much to see Robert. He and I were headed to Roatan 2 years ago and he had to back out at the last minute for a health issue. He wouldn't share what the problem was and we respected that. Last February he met Nancy and I in St Croix and shared a lot with us. I was terribly saddened by his weakness and at the start of the trip he wouldn't accept any help. After a couple of days of diving the Frederiksted Pier, he finally agreed to take off his rig in the water and hand it over to me.

The chemo he'd been taking for a year had attacked his lungs and the steroids he had been taking to combat this were eating up his muscle. Since St Croix, we stayed in very regular contact. We live in Maine and Robert in Texas, and Robert didn't believe in cell phones, so it was regular emails and occasional phone calls. He always downplayed his condition, but regular text updates from his wife gave us a more realistic picture. We went to Bonaire in September with Luis's group and Robert and his wife Miss Julie (I never heard him mention her name without the Miss!) joined us. Miss Julie had just retired and this was the first time she was able to join our dive group. He was too weak to dive, but we all had a grand time. His decline accelerated when he got home. On 12/12 he went into the hospital with a gall bladder infection and pneumonia and some other issues on 12/20 he left the hospital into hospice care. On 12/23 at 3pm he died as did a part of us!

He is survived by Miss Julie and their two sons and another son by a previous marriage. His funeral is on 1/2. I've been trying very hard to not bother Miss Julie, but I will try to get more info about his funeral. I have forwarded a link to l
Luis's post to her and she will read it when she's stronger.

 

[buddhasummer]

Julie, I'm Simon. My deepest condolences. Hugs.

 

[dolesorchard]

This is from February in St Croix

 

[dolesorchard]

Apparently my picture didn't load

 

[halocline]

Wow, I am saddened and shocked to read this. When I lived in TX, Couv and I dove together several times. He was such a great guy, very generous of spirit and never had a harsh word for anyone. He was also extremely knowledgeable and a wonderful resource for this forum.

Rest in peace, my friend, you will be missed.

 

[dolesorchard]

My banner picture is actually Robert in the Philippines checking out a blenny with his hand lens and the blenny checking it's reflexion in the hand lens.

 

[captain]

Robert was from New Orleans and worked for local scuba legend Roland Reviere at Roland's New Orleans Skin Diving school in the 70's and 80's. Sorry to hear this.

 

[Bierstadt]

Darn it. Rest in peace.