EASTON, CONN Bob Graf passed away on July 31, 2010 at the age of 86 after a prolonged illness at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, CT. He was a 52-year resident of Easton, CT, where he lived with his wife, Leonore. He had attended Notre Dame church in Easton, CT. Born on July 17, 1924 to parents Walter Graf and Marcella (Bendler) Graf, Bob grew up in Teaneck, NJ with his sisters Lucille, Dolores and Bernice. He is survived by his wife, Leonore A. Graf, daughters Judy, Kathy and Joanne, grandchildren Jessica, Maureen, Peter, Mike, Lauren, Mandy, Christopher, great granddaughter Mia, and one great grandson on the way! Robert W. Graf and Leonore Adina Larson (from Peru, Nebraska), were married on June 24, 1950 in New York City in a small, Catholic ceremony. Bob and Lee were married for 60 years. While growing up in New Jersey, Bob attended St. Regis High School in NYC. He received Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Engineering from Columbia University in New York City. He specialized in HVAC engineering. During college, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy and trained to be a pilot for the Navy during World War II. After moving to Bridgeport in 1950 with his new wife, Lee, he worked for several years at Bridgeport Brass and Bullards in Bridgeport, CT before striking out on his own as a successful Professional Consulting Engineer. In 1959 he and his growing family moved into a newly designed and built contemporary home. Lee worked as a school teacher at Joel Barlow High school in Redding, CT and still lives there, in the same home where their children were raised, along with her Scottish Terrier, Nessie. Engineering was a way of life for Bob, and he would always be happy to treat you with a lesson on heating, cooling and condensation. "Do you know why there is dew on the grass?" he would say. He also had a deep knowledge of geology, and could lecture on igneous and sedimentary rock formations, and how we once were covered by glaciers. An avid tennis player, Bob was known for his underhand serve. He was a founder and first president of the Easton Racquet Club in Easton, CT. Over the years, tennis had taken its toll on Bob's knees, but even in his last few years his wish was to "get back on the courts" and socialize with the crowd at the racquet club. He and his wife, Lee, loved spending time at the club with their grandchildren, and Bob was always quick to dab another layer of sunscreen on their sunburned little noses. Bob loved nature, and he frequently hiked in the woods of Easton and surrounding areas, and particularly liked the area called Devil's Den in Weston, CT. While hiking with his young daughters and grandchildren, he would often talk about glacial rock formations, condensation, clouds, stars and other nature lessons. Also an accomplished sailor, he had a passion for sailing on his sailboat "Aeolus ", around Long Island Sound and Block Island, sometimes fishing for flounder and bluefish. He had a vacation home in Montauk, NY where he enjoyed the beach and fishing with his wife. In the winter, he loved to take his family skiing in VT, and was a frequent visitor to Magic Mountain and Stowe ski resorts. Bob Graf loved socializing and meeting other people, and was the consummate host. He would always greet you with something to drink or a good meal. He used any excuse to celebrate, and especially loved Christmas holidays with his wife's family, when he had spirited political debates long into the night, hooked the "flying angel" in her place, and pretended to be Santa Claus on the icy roof of his home for the childrencomplete with jingle bells and HoHoHo's. Having a quick sense of humor, Bob connected immediately with other people. He loved to tease his daughters and often told them, "You're pretty smart for a girl." It was of utmost importance to Bob that his daughters be independent, and insisted that they would be well-educated, would earn a good living and take care of themselves, and indeed, they can. So can his grandchildren. Although he was tough on homework and grades, Bob could always cheer-up a girl: "you look very pretty today" he would say to his granddaughter--over the phone. Bob was keen on teaching others, and prided himself on quoting the lessons of Dale Carnegie. People who were close to Bob knew his favorite quotes: "Remember the Three C's: Never Criticize, Condemn or Complain." "I'm going crazy, wanna come?" "Never tell people they're wrong." "Out of suffering comes greatness." At Mr. Graf's request, no funeral will be held. A memorial celebration will be observed in September with a date and time to be announced. Please donate in Memory to The Aspetuck Land Trust, P.O. BOX 444, Westport, CT 06881-0444 or www.aspetucklandtrust.org. Norwalk's Hoyt-Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 5 East Wall Street is honored to assist the family with the arrangements.
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