Robert Edmun Conboy

1934-2023

Korea War Veteran | U.S. Navy Submarine Service

Robert Conboy, 91, passed away December 21, 2023.

Robert “Bob” Conboy was born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 15, 1932 to parents George T. Conboy and Flora Pletschke. Bob grew up the middle sibling of three boys to older brother George and younger brother Luke. He attended St. Teresa Catholic Church and attended La Salle Academy in Providence.

As a kid Bob worked to help his family -- carrying ice for the ice vendor delivering to tenement residents, helping the coal vendor with deliveries and pocketing scrap coal to bring home to his mom, delivering papers. When he wasn't working or out gallivanting, Bob was in school, excelling at academics and sports.

Growing up Bob was always fascinated with water and ships, and as a youth, he hung around a shipyard along the Providence River. Built during World War II as part of the country's Emergency Shipbuilding Program, it provided a perfect place for Bob to watch and learn from the workers. So much so that once Bob graduated from high school, he joined the Naval Reserves.

Bob thrived in the reserves. It was a keen interest and a desire to do something important, something patriotic, which drove his decision; it brought pride, satisfaction, camaraderie and, frankly, income in those tough times. Bob was swept into active duty when Truman called up reserves in June of 1950 as the U.S. engaged in the Korean War.

Bob's true love was for submarines, and he worked hard to realize that special assignment after successfully completing the competitive Sub School. He served on the USS Jallao, and his favorite, the USS TIRU, a GUPPY submarine. Bob earned the rank E5 Petty Officer 2nd Class and was a proud Holland Member, being qualified in submarines for 70 years. He earned the National Defense, China, Korea, and United Nations service medals. Bob's deployments took him to Yokosuka, Japan and other areas of the world, which fueled his love for travel and meeting people which continued the rest of his life.

After his honorable discharge in 1954, Bob returned to Providence where he went to work as a machinist at Universal Winding. Bob met his future wife and co-worker, Elena Pezzuco. She fell in love with the handsome young man with the genial smile and the gift of the Irish blarney. With their parents' blessings, they married in 1956; Bob and Elena enjoyed a beautiful life of 67 years in happy marriage, together raising three children.

After their honeymoon, Bob went to night school to earn his Bachelor's of Science in Accounting, and received his degree from Byrant College. Soon after, he accepted a job offer from an up-and-coming company called Xerox. Bob traveled the globe to recruit top scientists and researchers to join the team and perfect the technology which helped make the Xerox name ubiquitous.

At this time, Bob settled his family in upstate New York on the shore of Lake Ontario, where he continued his love of the water. He took every free moment to sail Ontario and other Great Lakes with his family. A dedicated sailor, Bob taught U.S. Power Squadron maritime safety, seamanship and navigation to help build new boaters' knowledge. Bob was a true master at the helm of his beloved sailboats.

In the late 1970s, Bob moved his family to Seal Beach, California as his role with Xerox continued to expand. His sailboat, Blarney, also made the move to a new berth in Long Beach and Bob continued to enjoy sailing in the Pacific. After retiring early, Bob and Elena boarded their trawler and spent the next three years exploring the Intercostal Waterway from Brownsville, Texas, along the Gulf Coast, around Key West Florida, up the Atlantic Seaboard, through the Great Lakes, and down the Mississippi River. They revisited family and made new friends, and Bob later often said that this cruise was his dream come true.

After returning to Seal Beach, Bob decided it was time to put up his last boat. He became an active member of the U.S. Submarine Veterans (USSVI) and volunteered his time as a docent aboard the U.S.S. Iowa battleship in San Pedro, CA, where you could find Bob chatting with colleagues and guests, sharing stories about Navy ships and the sea; Bob was happiest aboard -- it was evident in his smile and stance.

Bob was an avid sailor, pilot, saxophonist, scuba diver, skier, wood worker, and fan of TV westerns, and most of all, he was a devoted husband and father of three. Bob was a beautiful man -- smart, curious, helpful, brave, honest, fair, and loving. He is survived and missed greatly by his wife Elena, his sons, George and Sean, daughter, Erika, four grandchildren, and a blessed abundance of friends.

A funeral Mass will be held on January 17th at 11 o’clock in the morning at St. Anne Catholic Church in Seal Beach, California.