Robert J. Cappuccio

Robert (Bob) was born on June 29, 1932, in Hammonton, New Jersey, to the late Rudolph and Jennie (Cessato) Cappuccio.

Bob attended Johns Hopkins University for two years before serving his country in the United States Army Signal Corps during the Korean War. He also served with the Army of Occupation in Germany from 1953 to 1955. Following his military service, Robert earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Montclair State College in 1958 and 1960. He was later the recipient of National Science Foundation grants for advanced study at the University of Minnesota and Indiana University.

During his years at Montclair State, Bob was closely associated with the New Jersey School of Conservation during its formative years in the 1950s. It was here that he met and fell in love with Patricia (Pat) Winfield, whom he married on August 24, 1957. Pat passed away in 2001.

Bob began his teaching career at Lincoln Junior High School in West Orange. In 1959, he moved to the Culver Lake section of Branchville, where he went on to teach science and biology at Newton High School, where he became affectionately known as “Bio Bob”, for more than three decades, retiring in 1992. While at Newton High School, he was a member of the Northwest Jersey Track and Field Officials Association and also served for many years as a driving instructor for the Newton Adult School.

A passionate educator and naturalist, Bio Bob often took his biology students on field trips to Stokes State Forest and High Point State Park to participate in the New Jersey Audubon Society’s Annual Hawk Watch. Long after his retirement, he continued to meet with former students and their families to observe the annual raptor migration from Sunrise Mountain. He also developed an Anatomy and Physiology course for students interested in health-related careers, many of whom went on to successful professions in the field.

Bob was deeply involved in numerous organizations throughout his life, including: Life Member of the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association, Life Member of Branchville American Legion Post 157, Life Member of Montague VFW Post 10144 and a member of the Culver Lake Men’s Club.

He was also active in several environmental organizations, volunteering with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and the Vermont Center for Eco Studies. Through this work, he conducted annual surveys of breeding birds in mountaintop habitats for seventeen years.

In his personal life, Bob enjoyed hiking, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, snowshoeing, and swimming. He loved to travel and visited many places around the world, with a special passion for snorkeling the coral reefs of Florida, the Caribbean, Central America, and the Galápagos Islands. He was also a charter member of the Normanoch Association’s Fishing Committee at Culver Lake.

Bob is survived by his children, Jo Ellen Kattermann and her husband, Paul; their children Julianna Eaton (Ryan), Krystina Kattermann (John O’Keefe), and Zackary Kattermann and David Cappuccio and his partner Debbie Brubaker; his children, Lauren Kauffman (Brandon) and Christopher Cappuccio (Sara); his great-granddaughter, Eleanor Kauffman; his niece and nephew, Marie and Ronald Cappuccio and their families; and his companion, Carol Marszalkowski. Along with his parents and beloved wife, Robert was predeceased by his siblings, Anthony Cappuccio and Josephine Linder.

A Celebration of Life for Bob will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Culver Lake Clubhouse, East Shore Culver Road, Branchville, NJ at 2 PM.

Memorial Donations may be made to:

The Christ Union Chapel; PO Box 525 Branchville, NJ 07826

American Legion Post 157; PO Box 536 Branchville, NJ 07826

Greater Culver Lake Watershed Conservation Foundation (GCLWCF) PO Box 967 Branchville, NJ 07826 (https://gclwcf.org/ways-to-give)

Online condolences may be offered to the family below.