Robert (Bob) J. Cubeta

A brief, loving personal message from his wife, Verna:What can I say about Robert. . . .   I'll have to simply "speak" from my heart, since we shared over 50 years of    marriage and several years of dating prior.  I witnessed a man of great    intelligence, many talents with an adventurous spirit, and strong    appreciation of GOD's given gifts. He was an amazing person.     I learned so much from him and much of "him" rubbed off on me.    He was funny, with a winning personality and a great sense of humor.  I am    so grateful to have spent most of my life with him.     A Boy, a Man, a Husband;   but mostly - my Best Friend.    Gone much too soon.  Every morning, I will miss his smiling face.    I will close with the inscription written inside our wedding bands. . .                     8/26/67  "Together Forever In Christ"----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert (Bob) J. Cubeta, 74, of Port Orange, FL passed away the afternoon of July 31, 2018.  Born June 3, 1944 in Middletown, CT to the late Dr. Nicholas Paul & Gertrude Plunksy Gillmartin Cubeta , Bob is survived by an older brother, John Nicholas Cubeta of Laguna Niguel, CA; his loving wife, Verna DeProto Cubeta and her family of surviving brothers and sisters and their spouses: Diana DeProto (John) Cubeta of Laguna Niguel, CA, Michael (Patty Gerlach) DeProto of Guernville, CA, Gloria DeProto (Harley) Atkins of Port Orange, FL, Eugene DeProto of Cromwell, CT and Donna DeProto (Mark) Zampino of Cromwell, CT;  brother-in-law, William Cahill of Durham, CT (spouse of deceased sister, Linda DeProto Cahill) and many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins located in Connecticut, California, and New Jersey.

Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1962, in Middletown, CT and continued his education at Leicester College in Leicester, MA and the Chiropractic Institute of New York in New York City where he earned his doctorate as a chiropractic physician.

His initial thought was to become an oral surgeon like his dad, however when his dad suffered from muscular and joint pain as a practicing dentist and found relief through the care of the neighboring office practitioner, a chiropractic physician, his thoughts were redirected into that line of study.  Robert practiced in both Connecticut and in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  He and his wife Verna retired in 1997, finding their way to Volusia County and spending their retirement years in Port Orange, FL.

The family wishes to extend their sincerest thanks and deepest gratitude to all who have contributed to Bob’s care - those students and doctors at Palmer College of Chiropractic and the many dedicated nurses who tended to his personal care and needs at the Center for Oncology here in Port Orange, Port Orange Halifax Hospital and the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.

In lieu of flowers, kindly send donations to Halifax Health Hospice Center of Port Orange FL and/or to Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, 5204 Paylor Lane, Sarasota, FL 32400; Attn: Jessie McIntyre.

Private services will be held at a later date.                  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Remembering My Brother Bob

Robear, I can’t believe we had to say goodbye so soon. But I guess God must need my little Bro’s laughter for others. 

 Bob, or “Robear” as I always called him was my only sibling and truly one of a kind.  He danced to his own music and was always on the go!  In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing him in one place more than a minute.  We were almost 3 years apart but I remember while growing up, wherever I was he was right there with me.

It seems like only yesterday that we were just kids looking forward to summer vacation at our cottage.   I guess the cottage is where I will mostly remember him, as it is the place where we spent the most time together.  He  was  the devilish one and I always knew when he was up to something – that twinkle in his eye always gave him away. 

I do recall us attempting to build our own boat together out of an old cement mixing tub.  I think in the back of our minds we knew it was much too heavy to float – but we had fun building it.  It was ugly and useless but it was ours!  We dragged it to the water’s edge and pushed it in, only to watch it sink like a rock! 

I will never forget the holidays we spent with Bob, Verna, our parents and all our 4 legged kids at their home in Fort Lauderdale.  The month beginning 2 weeks before Christmas and ending well after New Year’s always went by fast and as soon as Diana and I  arrived home, we booked the trip for the next year.

 Bob had a mischievous side and I was always the more reserved one.  He couldn’t hide the mischief – it was a gleam in his eyes or a look that you could almost see the wheels turning.  He put the adventure in my soul and I am the better for it.    They say opposites attract.  Well, that would be us!    I remember one time we buried sand pails on the beach in front of our cottage and then covered them with a sheet of newspaper and sand. Then we encouraged our friends to walk where we wanted them to and we burst into laughter when their little feet found the pails of water.     He was the funny one and had a great sense of humor.  As long as I can remember he wasn’t afraid to try different things.  His devil-may-care attitude carried him through all the adventures in his life.   Some of them a bit dangerous.  Like the time we were at Ocean Beach in New London, CT.  He was just a little guy but wanted to do a back dive off the highest board.  He dove from the short board first, then the mid-height board, then the big board.  Frankly, I thought that he would chicken out.  He looked so small standing up there on that long board.  Within a blink of an eye he dove backward off the board.  Almost succeeded, but hit his lip on the board.  A trip to the emergency room and many stitches later our day at Ocean Beach was ended.  That’s when we coined the phrase, “he tried a back flip and came down on his lip”! 

 Bob never did anything the easy way; he always had to put the challenge in the undertaking, whether it was playing, “King of the raft” with our friends or water skiing in the creek where the snapping turtles were always active and could be seen. 

As adults, Bob became a Chiropractor and I went on to study Commercial Photography.  Ironically, many years later Robear studied Photography and I  became a Chiropractor;  in fact Bob encouraged me to become a Chiropractor and I did.  After he retired from Chiropractic he and his wife Verna, opened up a photo booth at their local Swap Meet/Flea Market.  I saw some of his work.  I am sure the folks that had their vacation pictures “enhanced”  by Bob took home a lasting and incredible account of their vacation in Florida!  

Bob taught me how to drive a stick shift car.  He had a classic MG Midget complete with metal bumpers and all!  A cute little car!  He said he would teach me.  We were about to start the lesson when he said wait a minute.  He ran back into the house and reappeared with 2 English driving caps and away we went. He stated, “can’t learn if you don’t look the part.”   I learned so fast that when my wife and I arrived home I bought an MG Midget myself. 

Bob loved music especially Elvis Presley and was a movie buff.  His favorite actor was Clint Eastwood.  Often, at family gatherings he would imitate and quote both.  He played the Accordion, Piano, Organ, Guitar, Drums and Harmonica and entertained us often when we visited them in Florida. 

At Christmas time we would exchange tapes of what we were up to all year.  My wife Diana (whom I met through Bob and Verna)  and I received a tape of Bob dressed up like Julio Iglesias and Verna as Willy Nelson doing their imitation of the famous song, “For all the Girls I Loved Before”.  It was hilarious and I still have the tape today!   Brothers dating sisters that ended up as 2 married couples. 

I could go on forever about Bob.  To sum up Robear, my brother, I was and will always be proud to have had him as my brother.  He was talented, quick witted and had an infectious laughter that lit up a room. 

I will love and miss you my “little Bro.”  You are forever with me in my heart, soul and as you wanted to be remembered.  “That Active, Fun-loving, Crazy-kind-of-guy we all knew you to be!”      

 Your Big Brother Jack