Raised to serve his community by his parents Robert and Olive Muir, he contributed in many ways. Locally, he coached his son Rob’s Little League team and volunteered extensively at Mendham Presbyterian Church and eventually Newton Presbyterian church, when they retired to UMC Bristol Glen Community in Newton. Ultimately, you could say that his whole career served the community - it began by serving in the Navy from 1954-1956 with the NSA, and after passing the bar in 1960, he continued serving as a municipal attorney for 10 years. This also included some time in politics, as his mother felt very strongly about this and it helped to lead to his career as a judge. He was appointed by Governor Cahill in 1971 and became a trial judge in the Superior Court.
His career included sitting at every level of the NJ Court system - the County Court, the Superior Court, the Appellate Division and a temporary assignment to the NJ Supreme Court. He was the first NJ Superior Court Judge to graduate from the Institute of Court Management in Denver, CO in 1986. He served as the initial chair of the NJ Supreme Court Committee on Outside Activities and after his retirement from the bench, he was appointed by Assemblyman Alex DeCroce to the “Public Officers Salary Review Commission.”
Listing all of these facts gives you a glimpse into the kind of man he was, but there is so much more. And you can’t say you truly knew him until you understood his conviction that all of the doors that were opened to him and made it possible to reach all of these achievements were a result of his relationship with God and His purpose for his life. He would also tell you that his wife Harriet and his children were the main source for his support along the way. Their marriage of 63 years was his foundation and he adored her every day. As their children grew and married, he was thrilled to eventually include 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. His most fervent prayer in his later years was that each of them would develop their own personal relationship with God.
Predeceased by his parents, Robert Muir, Sr, originally from Motherwell, Scotland and Olive Klehm Muir, of Newark, Bob is survived by his older sister Olive Kile, his wife, Harriet, their three kids, 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren –
Alison and her husband Paul Helmer and their 4 children. Erica Helmer McIvers and her husband Arty with their two children Ethan and Cassidy; Denise Helmer Hartman and her husband Jonathan, with their three children, Jensen (the eldest of all of the great grandchildren), Cooper and Kendall; Phillip Helmer and his wife Kylie and their children Kade, Mckenna and Elsie; and their youngest daughter, Melanie Helmer.
Robert (Rob) Muir III and his wife Wendy and their 5 boys. Brandon and his wife Amanda, Cameron, Robert Ian, Kyle and Bryce.
And Beth Muir, the youngest, with her 2 children - Jonathan Vargas-Muir and Becca McGlothlin Ford and her husband Daniel Ford.
Bob and Harriet moved from Mendham, NJ to the UMC Bristol Glen retirement community in Newton, NJ, 8 years ago. It was a blessed time for them, giving them a great community that supported them extensively, especially after Bob was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Wanting to thank everyone at Bristol Glen, his wife would especially like to thank those in the Health Care unit and Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice who provided incredible care and love to Bob at the end.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any desired donations to be made to the Market Street Mission, 9 Market Street, Morristown NJ, 07860, a ministry dear to his heart.
Services are as follows:
**Interment will take place on August 18th, 2022 @ 10 am at Mendham Hilltop Cemetery, 18 Hilltop Rd, Mendham, NJ 07945.
**Visitation, also on the 18th, from 4-6 pm at First Presbyterian Church in Newton, NJ, 54 High St.
**On Friday the 19th of August, 2022, there will be a Visitation from 10-11 am, followed by the Memorial Service @11 am at the First Presbyterian Church in Newton, NJ, 54 High St.
