Robert M Phenix, Jr.

Robert M Phenix, Jr. (Bob) of Rockville, MD passed away on January 5, 2023, at the age of 76 after years of decline due to Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsonism. He was born to Robert M Phenix, Sr. and Carlota deBullet Phenix in Baltimore, MD. The family moved to Princeton, NJ for a few years, and then when Bob was three years old the family relocated to Gillette, WY where they lived until Bob went off to college. Bob attended Princeton University, graduating in 1968 with a major in Psychology. While at Princeton (an all-male school at the time), he met his wife Kathy outside a mixer. Bob was drafted into the army immediately upon graduation. Bob and Kathy married in 1969 in Trenton, NJ two weeks before Bob was sent to Vietnam. Upon his return, he was stationed in El Paso, TX. When he was discharged from the Army, Bob and Kathy moved to New York City. Bob had been accepted to Columbia University for a Masters in Psychology, but after his experience in Vietnam he decided to pursue a Masters in Education. He taught for several years at the Teachers College Lab School and then at Lawrence Elementary School in Brookline, MA.

In 1974, Bob and Kathy moved up to Boston, MA “for a few years” which became 46 years. Bob began a Doctorate program at Boston University in Education. Bob left the PhD program to become a software engineer/architect and was one of the early employees at Graphic Communications Inc. (GCI) in Cambridge, MA. He worked on the early versions of Freelance Graphics, a precursor to today’s PowerPoint software. Over the years GCI was acquired by Lotus and then Lotus was acquired by IBM. He retired from IBM in 2007.

Bob had a lifelong love of music, particularly singing. In high school, he played trombone in the school band and sang in the church choir. At Princeton he was in Glee Club. In Boston, Bob and Kathy were members of the United Parish in Brookline for 46 years where Bob shared his musical talents in numerous ways. He sang with the Chancel Choir, served a few times as the Director of the Youth Choir, and founded and directed the UP Ringers Bell Choir.

Atlases, maps and travel were also an important part of his life both with his daughters and then he and his wife after they retired. His interest in maps started as a child when his family took regular driving trips from Wyoming to visit family in the Baltimore area. He rode up front and navigated pre-interstate highways with various maps. He traveled to 48 of the 50 states missing only North Dakota and Oklahoma. They also traveled throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and to many places in China.

As Bob’s health declined and the pandemic isolated us all, Bob and Kathy moved to Rockville, MD in 2020 to be closer to their daughter and her family.

Bob is survived by his wife of 53 years, Kathleen (Kathy) Phenix; his daughters, Rebecca Nigmann and her husband Bernd Nigmann of Rockville, MD, and Laura Phenix and her husband David Newell of Dayton, OH; his four grandsons, Matthias and Lukas Nigmann, and Philip and Joseph Newell; his sisters, Carlotta Striffler and her husband Dave Striffler of FortCollins, CO, and Laura Phenix and her husband Scott Smith of Lacey, WA; his step-mother, Donna Jean Phenix of Madison, WI; his sister-in-law, Margaret Thornton and her husband Tom Thornton of Louisville, KY; and many nieces and nephews.

A funeral will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at Grace United Methodist Church at 119 North Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD. Visitation will be at 10 am at Grace UMC followed by the funeral service at 11 am. Burial will be held immediately following the church service at Norbeck Memorial Park at 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd, Olney, MD. Following the burial, a luncheon reception will be held at Homewood Suites by Hilton at 14975 Shady Grove Rd, Rockville, MD.

A memorial service will be held at the United Parish in Brookline at 210 Harvard St, Brookline, MA on January 28, 2023. Details to come.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Casey House of Montgomery Hospice (montgomery hospice.org) or the Lewy Body Dementia Association (lbda.org).

The family extends its sincere appreciation for the many prayers and best wishes extended over the years to our kind and compassionate husband and father.