Robert "Bob" A. Spears

Eight bells have rung… Robert Abraham Spears, 92, departed this life for his new berth on the other side at 8:12 pm on December 16, 2021. He was born in New York on June 18, 1929, the year the Great Depression began. He spent his early years in Bergen, New Jersey, moved to Haverstraw, New York as a teenager, and eventually started married life in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. At the time of his passing, he had been a resident of Rocky Point, New York for over 60 years.

Bobby, as he was known to his parents, Abraham “Abe” and Catherine “Cathie” Spears, started his working life on the docks of Weehawken, New Jersey. No more “rushing the growler” or sifting for “clinkers” for him. His father Abe was an employee of the New York Central Railroad. All male children of employees were guaranteed a job on their sixteenth birthday and Bobby seized this opportunity.

He was proud of his father. Abe was a WW I veteran, wounded at the battle of Verdun, who served as one of President FDR’s personal trainmen when his rail car came into New York City’s Grand Central Station. He was also proud of his “black Irish” roots. The family name of Abraham began with the union of his multiple Great-Grandmother Bridget and her chosen, who took the name “Abraham” when baptized as an adult, because he thought it meant “the father of a multitude.”

Robert enlisted in the United States Army and served from Sept 1946 to Feb 1948. His mother was a U.S. Army nurse during WW II. After he was discharged, he married his sweetheart, Dottie, at St. Cyril and Methodius in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Needing to now earn a decent living to support his growing family, he leveraged his gift for the “blarney’ and forged a long-lasting career in Sales; retiring at the tender age of 80.

Spearsy, as his family called him, is survived by his two daughters, Valerie and Dorothyann, who live in Hopewell, Virginia. Randy, Dorothyann’s husband, completes his “little family”. His circle of friends included many members of the Housatonic Boat Club in Stratford, CT. Within this circle, he was Bob, Skipper of the Esmeralda, a gregarious man who loved his Guinness and Jamison, and always had a hug for a pretty girl. His favorite expression was “Catholics hug, we don’t shake hands…. that’s why there’s so many of us.”

Godspeed old sailor… May the wind be always at your back, Captain Bob, as you sail your new ship through eternity… We love you dearly and will miss you forever!

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Long Island State Veterans Home.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.obdavisportjefferson.com for the Spears family.