Robert A. Gross

Robert Armond “Bob” Gross, Sr.

Bob was born on January 7, 1936 and died on November 19, 2021 in Port Jefferson Station, NY. Bob was the first child of Armond J. & Sophia I. Gross, La Crosse, WI where he was a proud graduate of Logan High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps & just prior to discharge, was stationed in Brooklyn, NY where he met the love of his life, Rose Margaret Tortorella. They were married on November 30, 1957. Rose was not going to leave NY, so after about five years in Brooklyn, they settled in Richmond Hill, Queens where they raised their family. Bob worked in two different buildings for about eight different companies as one bought out the other. Among them were The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), Taystee Bread, Sunshine Biscuit, & ended his career as a Keebler Elf. Bob physically moved out of Wisconsin, but it remained in his heart. The most significant pieces of evidence of that were his ability to consume large amounts of beer & his love of the Green Bay Packers. Bob was a storyteller. Whether talking about his dreams of a previous life, his high school years helping to bring in the harvest or other tales from work or play, Bob was never in short supply. Often those stories were told with a heavy doses of embellishment that left people wondering about the truth of his tales. He enjoyed the attention & could liven up any conversation. Bob was active with the Boy Scouts, taking Troop 662 on monthly camping trips & serving as Committee Chairman for more than ten years. In his later years he became active with the Senior Group at The Boys & Girls Club in Richmond Hill & then the 50+ Club at St. Gerard Majella, organizing trips for club members.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Patricia Harnish Smith, Margaret Loftus, Elizabeth Carpenter, brother Patrick, and Rose, his wife of over 50 years. He is survived by his sisters Catherine Mastaw and Veronica (Gary) Brauer, his children Robert (Mary), Patricia (Steven) Schwartz, Michael (Terri-Lyn), grandchildren Kevin, Neil, Michael Francis, Christopher, Sarah, Daniel, and one great great grandchild, Myla Rose.

Friends are invited to come & share stories as we celebrate his life during a time of visitation on Thursday, December 9, 7-9 pm at Moloney Funeral Home, 523 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776. There will be a Funeral Mass Friday, December 10, at St. Gerard Majella RC Church, 300 Terryville Rd. Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776. Interment will be at St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY

In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made in Bob’s name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105, Greater New York Counsils, Boy Scouts of America, 457 Riverside Dr. New York, NY 10115, or your favorite charity.