Born on October 5, 1926, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Robert Campbell Witcher attended Tulane University before enlisting in the United States Navy’s V-5 naval aviation cadet training program in 1942, serving until the end of World War II. Following the war, he pursued theological studies and was ordained as a deacon at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans in 1952, eventually becoming its canon pastor in 1961. He later received a Doctor of Divinity from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in 1974.
Witcher was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Long Island in 1975 and was officially enthroned as the sixth Bishop of the diocese in 1977. Alongside his episcopal duties, he served as a professor of church history at the George Mercer School of Theology from 1975 to 1991. During his episcopate, Bishop Witcher was widely recognized for his conservative theological views, particularly his opposition to the ordination of women within the Episcopal Church.
Despite his traditionalist stance on church doctrine, Witcher’s tenure was marked by strong social and international engagement. In 1982, he actively rallied crucial support for the Nehemiah Plan, a building project that successfully brought affordable, low-income housing to a blighted section of Brooklyn. Later, in 1988, he participated in the Episcopal Church's high-stakes diplomatic efforts to help free Western hostages during the Lebanese Hostage Crisis.
As his tenure on Long Island drew to a close, Witcher served as the interim bishop of the Armed Forces from 1989 to 1990. He officially resigned as Bishop of Long Island on January 1, 1991, and returned to Louisiana to serve as bishop-in-residence in Baton Rouge. The Rt. Rev. Robert C. Witcher passed away on June 14, 2021, at the age of 94.