Robert F. Ziniti

He was survived by his wife of thirty years, Lisa S. (Dobro) Ziniti, whom he adored, as well as two brothers and a sister, Paul, Don, and Marie. His brother, Joseph, as well his parents, Joseph Henry Ziniti and Mary Gertrude Ziniti, predeceased him.

Bob was born in Boston on March 27, 1943 and grew up in Dorchester in a three-decker house shared by his extended family. His father, a Boston police officer, passed away when Bob was only 12, so his mother was forced to get a job to support the family.

Bob's first job was for Myron Sure, the local druggist (think George Bailey in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”) where he developed a strong work ethic and a love for ice cream. He took it upon himself to perform quality control tests on the pistachio ice cream throughout the day, depleting the supply greatly.

Bob attended St Anne's parochial school Catholic Schools, taught by nuns, who, for Bob anyway, would later serve as examples on how not to teach. After graduating high school, Bob wasn’t sure what he wanted to do so he followed in the path of his brother, Paul, and joined the Salesians of Don Bosco in West Havastra, NY. There he obtained his BA from Stephen’s Institute of Technology and started his Master’s in Chemistry at WPI. While he made some terrific memories with the brothers (and later regaled people with stories about his time there), Bob realized being a priest was not his calling in life, so he set off to find a job.

Hearing about an opening for a Chemistry teacher at Sharon High School (SHS), Bob applied. In his interview asked if he would have a problem teaching Jewish children, Bob replied that he had no problem as long as the checks were good. Bob's sense of humor endeared him both to the students and the teachers, making him very popular. He believed that teaching required being part entertainer, as well as part educator, and his past students all remember Bob fondly. Chemistry, not so much.

Bob and Lisa began dating the summer of ’85, and they married in the summer of 1990. They enjoyed 30 years of marriage together without a single fight (except who would wash the dishes). They were two peas in a pod, despite the significant age difference. Bob would tell people that marrying Lisa was the best decision he ever made. In 2002, Bob was able to retire from SHS, since Lisa worked at Bell Atlantic, and as Bob would say, could support him in the style of living he had become accustomed to.

Bob loved dogs more than people. When he saw a dog, he would always stop and ask the owner, “May I?” and pet the dog. He enjoyed taking his dog each morning (and by that I mean noon) to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee, before he would drive to Bird Park for a walk. He also enjoyed washing his car, eating Italian food, and watching NCIS (where he preferred Ziva episodes to Kate’s, because Bob hated hearing complaints). Similarly, he could not stand the show Columbo, because the guy wound never go away peacefully, but would always ask one more question. (Lisa had a custom shirt made for Bob that said, “No questions.”. Later in life, he preferred the saying, “Don’t know. Don’t Care”)

To know Bob was to love him, because he was one the kindest and most thoughtful people you could ever meet.

Due to the Pandemic, services will not be conducted at this time, but a celebration of his life may be held later on.