Tuesday, November 4, 2025
My deepest sympathy goes out to my extended family over the loss of Rob.
I knew him as Robbie J. He was my oldest cousin on my mother’s side, and I was his youngest. I’ll never forget how kind, genuine, and humble he was. Those words weren’t in my vocabulary then, but as an adult I recognize that he was the embodiment of them all.
As a child, when we visited from Vermont, he allowed us (Robin and I) to hang out in his attic bedroom and play 45’s on his turntable. Seasons in the Sun, is the one song I vividly remember playing. It seems sadly fitting now. I also have a memory of him liking the song Rhinestone Cowboy for some reason.
They are fleeting, disjointed memories but what remains is how he made me feel welcomed, and not like a pesky little kid messing with his stuff. He always seemed genuinely happy to see our family and spend time with us. We still have pictures of Rob and Machell (circa 1980) on the wall at our camp on Lake Champlain, VT. from a long ago visit. I regret we didn’t visit as much as we should or could have. I often wonder how our lives would have turned out, had we never moved from Cortland in the mid 1960s. I think we all would have been really close and had a lot of fun together!
Rest in peace, Rob. You were clearly an amazing human being who lived life to the fullest. You will be remembered. and missed.
With much love,
April Ede Kilbury
