Robert J. Reboredo

A visiting hours for Robert will be held Thursday, August 26, 2021 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Frederick Funeral Home, 192-15 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11358. A celebration of life-words on remembrance will occur Friday, August 27, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, 192-15 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11358. An interment will occur Friday, August 27, 2021 from 12:15 PM to 1:45 PM at Pinelawn Memorial Park, 2030 Wellwood Avenue, Farmingdale, NY 11735.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Robert's memory may be made to New York Cancer Foundation, https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.nycancerfoundation.org

Last Monday at 5:43 PM God took a beautiful soul from us, Robert/Bob Reboredo. Better known to

many of you by one of his nick names – Bob the fixer, Bob the mechanic or my favorite, Serenity Bob.

Bob did not have an easy journey, and he battled his own demons at times. Yet each time he fought

them. He may have stumbled on his journey but he never gave up. He never lost faith. Even when

struggling himself he tried to reach out to those with less experience than he had or those less fortunate

than himself. He would never give other people advice (except for me which he did more often than I

wanted) but instead freely told others of his history, his story, his experiences, strength and hope and let

them decide what part of it was something they could identify with and use for their own situation or

circumstance that they were dealing with at the time. Bob would never make a joke at someone else’s

expense, instead he would make fun of himself or of things that had happened in his life. Bob had a way

of putting some comic relief into some of the most difficult times he experienced. He often came home

after a meeting he spoke at and would tell me of what he shared. Usually it was one of the stories many

of you have heard before – his living at the four seasons or the story I used to call the “avoid the

argument”, “just do it yourself” story which was the one about whether to use a single or double bag for

the garbage can ‐ if your spouse or partner only uses one bag but you feel it is best to use two, then just

go to the garbage can take out the garbage and put the two bags in it before your spouse does it their

way. Avoids the argument, avoid the resentment.

Before Bob got ill he would walk Cesar three times a day. Each time literally “cleaning up the

neighborhood”. He usually would take one of the plastic bags that they gave you at the supermarket,

but every once in a while he would forget to take one with him. Sure enough he would come back a half

hour later telling me how God provided a bag on the street so that he could pick up the garbage and

clean up the block. Bob was known for trying to improve the area around our house in any way that he

could. He tried to make our home better for my parents when they were still alive and for me from the

day that we got married. I believe that most of you know that Bob worked from our driveway for the

last 20 years. Well, that allowed him time for what he would call his siestas in the afternoon in the back

yard or the opportunity to water the lawns at least twice a day and mow the front & back lawns when

needed. But watering and mowing our lawn wasn’t sufficient for him. He would look over to the

neighbor’s house, see if they were anywhere around, and if not then he would put the power up on the

hose and water the lawn for the house next to ours and even the one next to that if the water would

reach. Or after mowing our front lawn he would take the mower into the yards next door and mow

their lawn as well while they were at work. He always said he would try to do good deeds without

getting caught, after all if he got caught then it didn’t count. So it was almost like a game to him to see

how many things he could do for others without anyone knowing he was doing them. Trust me,

eventually the neighbors caught on, even if they didn’t let him know they knew it had been him.

Bob didn’t only try to do nice things for people he tried to care for the animals in the neighborhood as

well. Each summer he would make sure there was a bucket of water in front of your yard for the dogs

to drink while taking a walk on a hot day, All year long he would take the scraps of our bird Emerald’s

food and throw it out onto the yards or put it on the window ledge for the wild birds to have food to

eat. Bob was not only loved by the people in the neighborhood but also by their dogs. People would be

walking the dogs past the house and the dogs would pull them into the yard to see Bob because they

knew they would get a loving back scratching or petting from Bob. In fact one of our neighbors gave

Bob the nick name of the Dog Whisperer, because of how much love the neighborhood dogs had for

Bob.

I remember early on this year when Bob first got sick. I was the over protective wife and concerned that

he would have some of the harsher side effects from the chemotherapy and was insistent that someone

be with him while I was at work. Bob being the strong and independent being that he was argued with

me about it daily saying he wasn’t a child he was fine and could take care of himself. Every night when I

would get home he would say he wasn’t sure whether the attendant was babysitting him or if he was

babysitting the attendant. One evening after I had gotten home I cant remember but I think I had to run

to the drug store for his medication and he had promised me he would stay in his chair in front of the

garage with Cesar and wait for me to get back so I could walk Cesar. Well he did, he kept his promise. I

get back from the drug store pull into the driveway and there is Bob sitting in his chair in the driveway

with Cesar at his feet and with three young ladies around him talking. Lucky for him I am not the jealous

type especially when it was three of our neighbors.

On the days I was home with him we would sit in front of the house, I noticed more and more how many

people stop by and say hello and spend time with him. I saw how when I would walk Cesar people from

all around the block would recognize Cesar and ask where Bob was and how he was feeling. Bob’s

outgoing personality and love for people brought a country spirit of being neighbors to the NYC area.

Over the last 22 years I have seen Bob working with others and saw how many people he would call or

text with each morning. I would hear his cell phone ring every morning almost always at 7:00 AM and

sure enough it was his daily call from a friend named Joe. I would hear him numerous times a day on

the phone talking with different people whether it be about their cars or a situation they needed to

discuss with someone. What amazed me was how many people reached out to me once they heard Bob

was sick. Over the last few days I found out how many lives Bob had touched and it was heartwarming.

Bob would not want you to mourn his death but instead celebrate his life. He would not want you to cry

unless it was tears of joy. Remember him as the loving and caring man that reached out to all those that

crossed his path. When you think of him, please do your best to smile, laugh, and rejoice that a power

greater than himself has called him home and released him from any pain and mental anguish that he

may have felt over the last few months. Bob has not left us, he will live on forever within us with the

memories we have of him.

Tell the stories of how he reached out to the neighbors, which were not just the two houses on each

side of our house, but the people that lived in the houses surrounding us all down 32nd avenue, up 88th &

89th streets, across the street in the co‐op buildings, and some even blocks away. At the beginning, even

though he often would not get a response, he always had a smile and a friendly hello as people walked

by. Eventually things changed and people in the neighborhood not only started responding to his hellos,

but if he was working and did not see someone they would actually stop by the gate and say hello to

him.

Share the stories of how you came to the house and talked about whatever may have been on your

mind while he repaired your car. Share the stories of how you would pass by the house and see Bob

outside watering the grass and his waving and yelling “top of the morning laddie” to you as you drove

by. Tell the stories of how he would send out text messages to some of you each morning saying

“howdie pilgrim” or “may the force be with you” and end every conversation with “have a blessed day”

or “God bless”. Share the stories of his love of each person that came into his life and each animal that

crossed his path. So keep his spirit alive and share your Bob stories with each other and use him as the

power of example type stories as that was his life.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.frederick-fh.com for the Reboredo family.