Alphonse Robert Licata

Alphonse Robert Licata, or Bob as he was known to friends and family passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones. Also, Bob “with one O” as he often introduced himself later in life (as you can tell, he had an irreverent sense of humor.) Bob was a self-made person. He put himself through college at C.W. Post University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Adelphi University where, as a young father, he earned a master’s degree in Physics with Summa Cum Laude honors. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force (USAF), where his team worked on the very first North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD’s) “Santa Tracker” in 1955, which many of us still follow during the holidays. He was on the project team building circuitry for the first Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (L.E.M.) landing gear. He was a pioneer in the burgeoning semiconductor manufacturing industry. Projects he worked on included some of the first semi-conductor chips for consumer audio, video and text, television, telephone, as well as for automotive products and industrial controllers. This included the chips for the (at the time) wildly popular Atari video games. His work often took him to the ITT Semiconductors manufacturing facility in Freiburg, Germany where his family has fond memories of traveling with him, eating steak tartare, and drinking Weizen Beer with a lemon floating on top! He was overjoyed that the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 was signed into law to encourage bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States. At the time the industry was offshored, he knew it was a grave mistake.

Bob earned a private pilot license in 1959 and loved flying Cessnas and sea planes. He also was an avid coin collector. He and Cynthia bought an ocean-front condominium in Hilton Head Island during the 1980’s and spent countless days enjoying the sunsets, seafood and low-country joy.

Bob was devoted to his parents, Alphonso and Helen Licata. Every summer for many years, he took the family on a pilgrimage to visit his parents in Waco, Texas bringing a cooler full of Italian culinary provisions for his mother on a three-day car drive there and back. His true calling came later in life, after retirement, as a devoted grandpa dedicated to picking up his two granddaughters from school and assisting with sick-day coverage and babysitting duties so that his daughter Chris and son-in-law Kenneth could work full-time. He and his devoted wife Cynthia would also vacation with the girls, multiple times a year to visit with his daughter Leahann, son-in-law Michael and grandson Noah in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are grateful the cousins grew up with such a close relationship.

Bob became a devoted Catholic later in life. He was a faithful member of St. Rita’s Church in Hamden, CT. for 20 years as well as attending and later joining Our Lady Queen of Marters Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He and Cynthia lived life to the fullest. They travelled internationally twice a year, including visits to see two Popes and renewing their wedding vows in Maui, Hawaii. The family is grateful for his constant presence at all family gatherings and celebrations, of which there were many.

Bob spent the last several years of his life attending the Clelian Center, a ministry of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Adult Day Center, located in Hamden, CT. They uncovered his passion for singing and brought immense joy to him.

In lieu of flowers or planting trees, should you like to contribute, in memory of Bob, please consider a donation to the Clelian Center at: https://cleliancenter.org/   . Click on the donations tab at the top right of the page where you can donate directly to fund transportation, meals, or a day at the Clelian Center. We are forever grateful for the care and joy this wonderful organization gave him. Speaking with the director this week, she noted the staff was just talking about him, and has fond memories of his arrival every day when he would say, “time to make the donuts.”

He survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Cynthia, his three children, Chris (Kenneth), Leahann (Michael) and Lawrence (Ivy) and 5 grandchildren (Sarina, Katarina, Noah, Chelsea and Lindsay.) He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.