Obituary for Robert Edmund Antonitis
Robert Edmund Antonitis, Sr., 83, of Blackstone, MA passed peacefully on Saturday, January 27th at Hope Hospice Care Center in Providence. Born on May 18, 1940, in Norwood, MA, he was a son of the late Brownie and Anne (Rakauskus) Antonitis.
He is survived by his spouse of over 60 years, Nancy (Katchpole) Antonitis; three sons, Robert E., Jr. of Pawtucket, Paul W. and his wife Rita, of Norwood, MA, and Christopher and his partner Corey, of Rochester, NY; three daughters, Elizabeth J. Ruggieri-Clancy and her husband David of Cranston, RI, Amy Antonitis-McDonald of Rochester Hills, MI, and Christine T. Clancy of Casselberry, Florida; two siblings, Richard Antonitis of Georgia and Dorothy Cornette of Maine; 11 grandchildren; and his favorite feline friend, Sammy. He was predeceased by his brother Philip.
Robert was a private, quiet, serious, and studious man; he was a proud graduate of several esteemed institutions including the Wentworth Institute with an AS degree; Northeastern University with a BA degree; and Suffolk University with an MBA. He was a life-long learner and patriot, having served in the US Army National Guard. He enjoyed a decades-long, distinguished career as a Service Representative for General Motors Corporation from which he retired.
Well-informed and always astute to current events - both locally & internationally - he was politically active all his life; he effectively served a two-year appointment to the Warrant Finance Committee. He loved to watch FOX News and was a loyal fan of both the Buffalo Bills and Boston Celtics. An avid runner with an impressive marathon record, having completed 13 Boston Marathons and over 50 in total.
His Roman Catholic faith was central to his existence; Robert belonged to the Divine Mercy/Saint Paul Parish in Blackstone, and previously to St. Angela’s Parish in Mattapan. He was active in the Cursillo Retreat ministry in the Arch Diocese of Boston.
In addition, he participated in international missions of mercy to aid the impoverished; most notably, he and Nancy travelled to Haiti and they, together with son Bobby traveled to Guatemala to deliver a school bus with a group through the Heiffer Project. He also participated in many Walks for Hunger for the underprivileged in his home communities and volunteered in the Prison Ministry by instructing incarcerated individuals in the Automotive Repair trade.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Robert at St. Paul's Church of Divine Mercy Parish, 48 St. Paul Street, Blackstone, MA, on Saturday, February 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at a later date.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Berarducci Home & Cremation Care Center, 185 Spring Street, Woonsocket.
He is survived by his spouse of over 60 years, Nancy (Katchpole) Antonitis; three sons, Robert E., Jr. of Pawtucket, Paul W. and his wife Rita, of Norwood, MA, and Christopher and his partner Corey, of Rochester, NY; three daughters, Elizabeth J. Ruggieri-Clancy and her husband David of Cranston, RI, Amy Antonitis-McDonald of Rochester Hills, MI, and Christine T. Clancy of Casselberry, Florida; two siblings, Richard Antonitis of Georgia and Dorothy Cornette of Maine; 11 grandchildren; and his favorite feline friend, Sammy. He was predeceased by his brother Philip.
Robert was a private, quiet, serious, and studious man; he was a proud graduate of several esteemed institutions including the Wentworth Institute with an AS degree; Northeastern University with a BA degree; and Suffolk University with an MBA. He was a life-long learner and patriot, having served in the US Army National Guard. He enjoyed a decades-long, distinguished career as a Service Representative for General Motors Corporation from which he retired.
Well-informed and always astute to current events - both locally & internationally - he was politically active all his life; he effectively served a two-year appointment to the Warrant Finance Committee. He loved to watch FOX News and was a loyal fan of both the Buffalo Bills and Boston Celtics. An avid runner with an impressive marathon record, having completed 13 Boston Marathons and over 50 in total.
His Roman Catholic faith was central to his existence; Robert belonged to the Divine Mercy/Saint Paul Parish in Blackstone, and previously to St. Angela’s Parish in Mattapan. He was active in the Cursillo Retreat ministry in the Arch Diocese of Boston.
In addition, he participated in international missions of mercy to aid the impoverished; most notably, he and Nancy travelled to Haiti and they, together with son Bobby traveled to Guatemala to deliver a school bus with a group through the Heiffer Project. He also participated in many Walks for Hunger for the underprivileged in his home communities and volunteered in the Prison Ministry by instructing incarcerated individuals in the Automotive Repair trade.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Robert at St. Paul's Church of Divine Mercy Parish, 48 St. Paul Street, Blackstone, MA, on Saturday, February 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at a later date.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Berarducci Home & Cremation Care Center, 185 Spring Street, Woonsocket.