Robert W. St. John

Robert W. St. John of Congers, N.Y., 98 years old, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2025.

“Bob”, as he was known to friends and family, was born to George A. St. John and Viola St. John (née Smith) on May 15, 1927, at Doctors’ Hospital in New York City. He attended Power Memorial High School in the Bronx and was a parishioner of St. Nicholas of Tolentine and St. Philip Neri Church in the Bronx.

At the age of 20, Bob’s only brother, Edward, a Marine, was killed in action during WWII in the Battle of Saipan. Bob honored his brother by enlisting in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17, where he served with distinction on the USS Navarro, driving a landing boat and delivering Marines into combat in the Philippines & Okinawa. For his contributions, he received the Victory Medal, the American Theatre Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Medal with one star, & The Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

After returning to N.Y., Bob enjoyed a successful career in the oil and gas industry. He met Frances Nesdall during a singles weekend at Eastover Resort in Lenox, M.A. The two would fall in love and eventually marry on Oct. 26, 1957. Bob and Fran would raise their family in Congers, N.Y., where they were active parishioners in St. Paul's Church. Fran would pass away in April 2017 at the age of 90. Bob loved hosting backyard barbecues where he entertained friends, family, and clients alike. He was often the life of the party, singing "You Called Everybody Darling” at countless family events. Bob and Fran enjoyed spending the summers on the Cape, where they eventually lived after retirement.

Bob is survived by his five children: Bernadette St. John of Menlo Park, C.A.; Ed St. John of Manhattan (Lu); Bob St. John of Naples, F.L. (Mary); Ursula Allen of Westport, C.T. (John); Emmett St. John of Jersey City, N.J. (Padra); and his seven grandchildren: Melissa, Jackie, Caroline, Gerard, Isabel, Eddie and Owen.

Bob will be waked at the Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home in New City, N.Y., on September 18 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a Funeral Mass will be held at 10a.m. on September 19 at St. Augustine Church in New City, N.Y. The Mass will be followed by a burial in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.