1945-2026
Bob came to Fishers Island at age 7, in 1952, and his love for it never dimmed.
The main thing for him was the sailing. He learned in a Hay Harbor “weasel”. (All wood and not too speedy but uncapsizable.) Crossing to West Harbor, he won many a race in the bullseye “Mr. Lucky”, later donated to the Yacht Club. Stepping up further (though he always maintained that in many ways a bullseye was the most fun), Bob went on to own three ocean-going boats: a C&C 40, a Benneteau 50, and a custom aluminum 74 -foot sloop, all named “Runaway Bunny”, suggestive of the total delight he took in them. These intrepid rabbits may have lain securely from time to time at a West Harbor mooring, but they sailed the world: The Caribbean many times (including runs along the windward side of the Windward Islands, windiest of them all). The Med from Majorca to Istanbul. Even the North Sea. He had the Bunny of its time shipped to Southeast Asia, where he sailed her for several summers.
Why summers only? Time was somehow made for a successful real estate career in Boston, where he came to be trusted by its business leaders in various important fiduciary positions, for his acumen and judgment, but above all, his integrity.
The luckiest of them might be invited onto the Bunny. His greatest pleasure of all was to have his family and friends aboard, braced up by the ocean spray, but also his famously sharp wit. He was great fun to be with.
Bob spent his last summers, not under sail himself, but looking out on the many that passed between his beloved (“inverted teacup”) house and the Dumpling islands. We can think of him out there, trimming to a gusty breeze, as no doubt he was thinking of himself.
A memorial service will be held on April 17, 2026 in Boston’s Arlington Street Church, at 11am.
