Father Robert G McBride

The Reverend Father Robert George McBride died peacefully on May 7, 2023, following a brief illness. At the time of his passing, Father McBride was surrounded by members of his family, to whom he will always be their beloved “Bob”.

Bob McBride was born in Jersey City, NJ on January 12, 1947. He was the oldest son of George A. McBride – an honorably discharged Sergeant, Third Marines – and the former Grace Barnes, who had waited patiently and expectantly for George to come home from the Pacific War. After their marriage at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the coming of peace, George and Grace started their family in Jersey City, where they had both been raised. Bob was followed by his siblings Judy, Ken, Janet and Marybeth. For decades, the McBride Family lived a life filled with love, faith and modest prosperity in a house on Henry Street with a big backyard – perfect for the summer barbeques of which Bob was so fond.

Bob was always a gifted student. Indeed, he was salutatorian of his high school class (thanks to a bad grade in “typing”) and had been accepted to Georgetown University where he intended to study law, just like his favorite TV character Perry Mason. But God had somewhat different plans. Inspired by the love and faith of his parents, Bob instead decided to enter the Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University. Following his ordination in 1972, Father McBride embarked upon more than fifty-years of service in different roles at numerous parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Newark.

Remarkably, Father McBride’s childhood fascination with the law was undiminished following his ordination, and in the early 1980s he decided to pursue a Doctorate in Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. After spending several years in Ottawa, he acquired not only that degree, but also a love of French cuisine (plus a firm understanding of what it means to be really cold). From the mid-1980s until his passing, Father McBride continuously served as a canon lawyer within the Archdiocese of Newark, and was ultimately the Judicial Vicar.

In his dual role as a diocesan priest and a canon lawyer, Father McBride was pastor of St. Philip the Apostle in Saddle Brook, NJ, and then St. John the Apostle in Clark, NJ. Following his recent retirement, he relocated to St. Theresa’s in Kenilworth, NJ where he continued to celebrate mass and actively participate in parish life. Importantly, he also remained closely involved with the Second Community of St. John the Apostle, the Neocatechumenal Way, and presided over their liturgies. Just two-weeks before his passing, Father McBride baptized his newest grandniece, Ryleigh Rose McBride, at a beautiful ceremony that echoed his most fundamental belief: God’s love.

Father McBride was predeceased by his parents George and Grace, as well as his brother and sister-in-law Ken and Debbie McBride of Wall, NJ. He is survived by the following immediate family members: sister Judy Murphy and her husband Pat of Colts Neck, NJ; sister Janet McBride of Manchester, NJ; sister Marybeth Hannan and her husband Jim of Hillborough, NJ; nephew P.J. Murphy of Red Bank, NJ; nephew John Murphy and his wife Erin, as well as their children Presley, Arthur and Cormac of Old Greenwich, CT; nephew Michael McBride and his wife Erin, as well as their children Gavin, Lily and Ryleigh of Brielle, NJ; nephew Sean Hannan of Chicago, IL; niece Kerry Bollendorf and her husband Joseph of Collingswood, NJ; and niece Colleen Hannan of Hoboken, NJ.

Father McBride’s family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Father McBride Memorial Fund at St. John the Apostle School, 571 Valley Road, Clark, NJ 07066.

Lastly, Father McBride’s family wishes to express its profound thanks for the physical support that Father McBride received from the exceptional doctors, nurses and staff of the Critical Care Unit at Ocean Medical Center, and the spiritual support he received from so many, particularly his fellow priests and his brothers and sisters of the Neocatechumenal Way.

A visitation for Fr. Robert will take place Thursday, May 18, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, 541 St. Theresa Roman Catholic Church, 541 Washington Ave, Kenilworth. A funeral mass will be held Friday, May 19, 2023 at 11:00 AM. A committal service will follow at St. Gertrude Cemetery, Colonia NJ.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.krowickifuneralhome.com for the McBride family.