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Robbie Whitaker

Robert “Robbie” Whitaker was an Ashkenazi Jewish architect who specialized in accessible residential design. He was married to Annie Whitaker and was the father of Lindsay, Leslie, and Robert “RJ” Whitaker Jr.. The family lived in Mt. Washington, Baltimore.

Education and Career

Robbie completed an undergraduate degree before attending the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a Master of Architecture. He was licensed to practice architecture in Maryland, owned Whitaker Architecture, and belonged to the American Institute of Architects. His practice focused on accessible residential and multigenerational design and also consulted for institutions; he was recognized in Baltimore as an expert in accessible residential architecture.

Robbie’s accessibility specialization developed through life with Annie, Annie’s parents, and RJ. He applied that work to the family’s home through phased renovations that included tactile wayfinding, multimodal alerts, accessible kitchens and bathrooms, and a first-floor suite for Saul Rosen and Miri Rosen.

Family Life

Main article: Annie Whitaker and Robbie Whitaker

Robbie met Annie near the University of Maryland in 2000. They married in September 2005 and raised three children in Mt. Washington. Lindsay and Leslie were identical twins born in 2007, and RJ was born in 2012.

Robbie shared parenting and household work with Annie. He handled most weekday cooking, household finances, and physical maintenance of the home. Annie baked Friday challah and managed much of RJ’s medical coordination, while both parents shared school and activity logistics.

Robbie kept a small circle of close friends from UMD and his architecture practice. He was warmly sociable in small groups and at family gatherings, while avoiding broad social visibility.

Cultural Identity and Community

Robbie was Ashkenazi Jewish and Reform in observance. He and Annie maintained a Jewish household together. His own family was hearing and Jewish, without an earlier connection to Deaf culture; his adult acculturation came through Annie, her parents, and RJ.

Communication and Access

Robbie was a hearing English speaker who learned ASL through his marriage and family life. His signing became fluent and functional but remained non-native: precise and careful rather than broad. He spoke with a mild Maryland accent and a calm, dry mid-range voice. As RJ’s vision narrowed, Robbie learned Protactile and participated in adapting the family home to tactile communication and wayfinding. He was a member of the Jewish Deaf Society of Baltimore through his family life with Annie and the Rosens.

Health and Genetics

Robbie was an asymptomatic heterozygous USH1F carrier. He and Annie learned of their carrier status through genetic testing after RJ’s Usher syndrome diagnosis in 2012.

Physical Characteristics and Presentation

Robbie was of medium height with a lean build, brown hair beginning to gray at the temples, dark eyes, and glasses he had worn since his thirties. He kept his hair short and was clean-shaven. His usual clothes were dark jeans or trousers with button-down shirts or tees, cardigans or thin sweaters, and sensible shoes; for professional settings, he kept a small rotation of unshowy blazers. He wore a thin gold wedding band and a practical watch.

Memorable Quotes

“Of course you are. What do you need.”

Robbie signed this to Annie after she said she would take Jacob Keller’s case in 2022.

Characters Supporting Characters Living Characters Jewish Characters Ashkenazi Characters USH1F Carriers ASL Users Whitaker Family