Robert Edmund Chanfer

Robert (“Bob”) was born on August 18, 1936, to Frank and Jacqueline Chanfer (Francesco and Giacondina Cianferro) in the Bronx, New York. One of three siblings, Bob grew up with his sisters, Patricia Mastropietro (1944–2018) and Francine Napolitano. The young family first resided in the Crestwood neighborhood of Yonkers, New York.

Bob met Ann Marie Damiano (1939–2018) at Orchard Beach, and they were married on September 21, 1955, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on East 187th Street in the Bronx. He is survived by his two daughters, Laura Ann Behler and Bobbi Ann Halper and her husband, Matthew Halper; his three grandchildren, Robert Behler, Andrew Lasek, and Alexa Lasek; and his beloved family friend and caregiver, Geneneve Messam-Bruce.

In the early 1960s, Bob served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS DeLong (DE-684), a Rudderow-class destroyer escort.

An ardent seafarer, Bob was a proud licensed captain who led charters to the Bahamas and other memorable maritime adventures. He spent the majority of his career as the owner and chief mechanic of Island Outboard Motor Repair in City Island, New York, until his retirement.

Bob and Ann spent decades on the water with their daughters and friends, sharing their love of pleasure boating on Long Island Sound aboard their cherished boats—The Flying Dutchman, Magic Carpet, and Chez Moi, among others. Their life on the water inspired countless family adventures and traditions, including their annual “tribal rituals” at Lloyd Harbor, where Bob was ceremonially known as the “Medicine Man.”

Bob had a passion for storytelling, nautical literature, and history. He penned several collections of short stories inspired by his experiences and spent years working on an ambitious historical novel, a lifelong labor of love. An accomplished craftsman, he devoted much of his later life to building intricate scale models of both legendary ships and vessels that had shaped his own life.

In 2024, he wrote to his daughter:

“Many times at Lloyd’s Harbor, when it came time to leave, I would take my position on the flybridge and look at the ignition keys. All I had to do was turn them, and Magic Carpet would come alive and take me back to the world I left behind. Did I want to do this? No, by all means, no! I wished my family and I could just stay in this wonderful world of fun and sun and sand and play, and laugh and care for each other. That was where the courage came in, and of course, the magic words were in your mind, and they said vividly, 'Turn the keys. Turn the keys and go home now.'

Magic Carpet is no more, but she remains alive now only in my memory. I can see you on the bow watching for lobster pots. I can see the sunset as we headed home. And then there was Huckleberry Island, and just a short mile more was our home port, Imperial Yacht Club!”

At his request, Bob and his beloved Ann Marie will have their ashes spread upon the waters of Rhode Island in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Westerly Land Trust, P.O. Box 601, Westerly, RI 02891, or the Donate link at https://westerlylandtrust.org/