Robert Arthur

On Monday, March 1, 2021, Bob Arthur, loving son, brother, father, and grandfather passed away peacefully at the age of 73 in Newark, DE.

Bob was born in New Rochelle, NY to Ruth and Robert Arthur, Sr. He had fond memories of growing up on Grassy Lane in the post WWII suburb of Levittown, NY, where he was known as Rob (aka Wooly Burger). He kept in touch throughout his life with many of his childhood friends, almost all of them also having first names starting with the letter “R.” Tales were told of sports and scouting and mischief. After graduation from Division Ave High School in 1966 and then Nassau Community College, Bob worked for Nassau County on Long Island, and for Dow and Dade County in Florida. His work in computer programming and as a systems analyst led to project management, with the majority of his career spent at Citibank, where he retired as a VP.

First and foremost, Bob enjoyed being Dad to his daughter, Michelle (and son-in-law Jeff), and son, David (and daughter-in-law Lauren). He rarely missed a school play, concert or game. More recently he added the title “Grandpa” and loved spending time with his grandson, Everson. He also loved the role of “big brother” to his sister Edith, who is one of the few who could match his sense of humor.

He enjoyed giving back to the community in various ways, such as serving as a coach for Special Olympics Delaware, arranging for mascots to visit the children’s hospital, volunteering on committees with the New Castle County Police Department, and delivering Meals on Wheels.

Bob had a passion for sports as a competitor, fan, and collector. He always spoke of his glory days playing softball, loved an afternoon at the ballpark (or Rangers game at MSG) with a hot dog or two, and had a lot of fun collecting and trading baseball cards and autographs, which he had a knack for displaying artfully for his guests to appreciate. One of his many claims to fame was that he was in the stands for Game 6 of the Mets vs. Red Sox World Series in 1986, when Bull Buckner booted a ground ball that ultimately led to an improbable Mets championship.

Bob had a big heart and a warm personality that people gravitated towards. He loved being social and had the ability to strike up a conversation or tell a joke, and connect with people of all types. He also enjoyed road trips, whether it was a vacation to visit family in North Carolina, an impromptu drive to a regional locale he was curious about, or anywhere he could put his Corvette's accelerator to the test. It helped that he had an impressive sense of direction and always seemed to know where he was.

Bob was preceded in death by his father Bob, mother Ruth, and son, Craig.

A memorial service will be held in May 2022. 

Please share your memories of Bob with us here.