Robert J. Janetschek

Robert John Janetschek, 66, passed on Tuesday, March 11, with his wife and daughter by his side. Known as Bob or Bobby, he was born on November 27, 1958, in Brooklyn to William and Jane (McHugh) Janetschek, the oldest of five children. He grew up in West Hempstead.

Bob loved his family deeply—he was husband to Lynn (Weber) since 1985; dad to Liz (Anthony); Poppy to Elliott, brother to Ann and Janie, who predeceased him, and Bill and Ellen; uncle to Chrissy (Joe), Joey, Rob (Marita), Will (Kim), and Billy (Liana); and great-uncle to Ryan, Mia, Jojo, Giordana, Eliana, and Nathaniel.

He attended Nassau Community College, where he received an associate’s degree in science (magna cum laude) in 1978, and then went on to receive his bachelor of science from LIU-C.W. Post in 1981 (magna cum laude) and his masters of science from St. John’s University in 1985.

Bob began his career as a medical technologist at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, where he met his wife, Lynn. He went on to marketing roles in the field of clinical laboratory medicine, traveling the world in the process.

He was an avid fan of baseball—he was a lifelong Mets fan, and nothing gave him more joy than his many visits to his beloved Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He was passionate about movies, with some favorites including Casablanca, The Departed, Rocky, and The Godfather, and many more; music, with favorite bands and artists including The Who, Steely Dan, Jackson Browne, Simon & Garfunkel, and again, many more; and TV—he loved The Big Bang Theory, Forensic Files, Law and Order, and The Twilight Zone. He was a voracious reader and devoured any book he could about history, and the American Revolution in particular (he liked Alexander Hamilton before it was cool). He could spend full days crisping in the sun at the beach, and spent many summers at Tobay and in Sag Harbor, as well as on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. He was an amazing cook—always the grillmaster, and quick to whip up family favorites such as his roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and tuna noodle casserole. He loved dessert—especially Linzer tarts and ice cream (Baseball Nut from Baskin Robbins was his unsurprising favorite)—as well as Chinese food.

Visitation will be held from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM on Friday, March 14, at Beney Funeral Home, 79 Berry Hill Road, Syosset, NY. A service will be held at 9 AM on Saturday, March 15, at Faith Lutheran Church, 231 Jackson Avenue, Syosset, NY. A private internment will follow. In lieu of flowers, Bob’s wife and daughter ask that donations be made in his name to two institutions near and dear to his heart—the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, NY, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY.