- Date Of Birth: August 13, 1959
- Date Of Death: March 14, 2021
- State: Connecticut
Voluntown – It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Robert John DeSantis, 61, of Bennett Road. He passed away Sunday, March 14, 2021 at his home. He was born August 13, 1959 in Beverly, MA son to the late John and Akiko DeSantis. Survived by his brother Richard (Tess Baumberger) and sister Deborah.
Known as Bob to his friends, he attended Beverly High School and from there went on to Northeastern University. Straight from college he started his career in “government work” as he called it, as a federal employee until he retired in 2015.
Bob was the one you could depend on. The stable one. He was always there, for everyone. If you needed a travel buddy, a drinking buddy, a golfing partner, a trivia partner, a life partner, he was there. It didn’t matter what you needed; the answer was always yes. He did it wholeheartedly and gave it his all every time. Just as long as it wasn’t between the hours of 7 am and 11 am. He first needed to get his 18 holes of golf in.
Bob shared 24 years of his life with Deb DeSantis, with which he shares 3 children and lived in Griswold, CT. He was an excellent father to his children growing up and throughout their adult life. He was a dedicated softball/baseball coach and even made a batting cage in the backyard using a net and an acquired pitching machine. He would often bring his kids with him to the golfing range allowing them to hit their own bucket of balls and as a special treat get dairy queen afterwards. He also loved taking his family on fishing and camping trips.
Family came first for Bob, and he never missed a holiday, get-together or birthday. It didn’t matter where you lived, Bob would be there. He had nine grandchildren and was proud of each one of them. He shared unique memories with all of them and played right along with them. He enjoyed becoming a kid again having epic pillow fights, nerf gun battles, game nights, jumping on the trampoline, golfing, swimming, ice skating and shopping sprees.
Grandpa (Bob) never missed any important events. He would find a way to be there even if it was only virtually.
A resident of Voluntown, CT for the past 12 years he really settled into life there kayaking and fishing on Beach Pond. He often hiked around the state forest to keep in shape.
It would surprise many people to know that “quiet, shy Bob” was really the life of the party. He had a quick wit and could really get you laughing, Bob really loved it all. Bob’s love of games wasn’t just for golf. It was for anything that could be turned into a competition. His competitive spirit is well known throughout his family. From bowling in real life, to Wii Sports Resort, and even crossword puzzles, Bob wanted to win. Any lawn game you had; Bob was the first one up ready to play. From Trivial Pursuit to Trivia Night at the local hangout Bob wanted to win. From Candyland with the grandkids to Rummikub with friends, it never mattered who the opponents were because Bob was going to win.
Saying that Bob was an avid golfer is putting it mildly. Even shoulder surgery didn’t cramp his style. He made sure to put it off until after the golf season was over and he timed his recovery just right to be able to start swinging again as the weather got warmer. He was a member of River Ridge Golf Course for many years.
Travel was also a big part of his life. From the Dominican Republic to the coast of Maine you never knew where he was going next. He mostly traveled for family and golfing trips. His travel and life partner Candace Jane Porter preceded him in death by just a few years. It was a dark time for Bob and really the only highlight that he had were his grandchildren and children. This period of his life gave him time to reflect on what truly mattered. It wasn’t until this past year that he had started dating again, sharing many precious memories with his girlfriend Lisa Kopel.
Robert DeSantis leaves behind his children and their spouses; Emelia and James Simoneau, Heather and Jason LaChapelle, Andrew and Danielle DeSantis, and Mary and Mark Medrzychowski; 9 grandchildren Liam, Kayla, Miles, Beckett, Brent, Harper, Blake, Liliana, and Kelsey; 2 nephews Thomas and Michael; and a host of family and friends that will miss him.
