Bob Wilson

Robert E. (Bob) Wilson, 53 of Yardley, PA left us unexpectedly on Thursday, March 13.

Bob was born on June 11, 1971 in Orange, NJ to Dorothy (nee Kuduk) and Edward Wilson. As a baby he lived in Roselle, NJ, then his family moved to Hazlet before settling in Middletown, NJ.

Bob was a 1989 graduate of Middletown High School South. He received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Muhlenberg College in 1993 and earned his MBA from LaSalle University in 2001.

In high school Bob ran Cross Country and was on the Swim Team all four years. His senior year he was co-captain of Swim. In the fall of his senior year of high school he met and became best friends with a girl at his lunch table. Little did he know that by the end of the summer he and Kelli would be dating and that she would be his future wife.

Several months after graduating from college, Bob was hired by Bloomberg Financial Markets and was with the company for over 30 years. He was very proud to be a Bloomberg employee. As Manager of the Localization Team, he worked with colleagues across the globe. He found his work challenging and satisfying. He also very much enjoyed the fun times with his team, especially participating in potluck days when team members would bring in a dish from their native country or heritage or having the annual holiday cookie exchange. He also enjoyed service days when the team would put together Thanksgiving Baskets or go offsite to a Bloomberg Habitat for Humanity build. As someone who only had high school Spanish, he loved to brag that he could say “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you” in ten languages. He was also known for wearing a Hawaiian shirt on the Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day, something he called Magnum P.I. Fridays.

Bob was happiest on the beach or his boat, preferably with a fishing pole in his hand. He enjoyed summer vacations down the shore with Kelli and his boys and striper fishing on the Keyport Princess in the fall. From the time he was little, he rooted for the Yankees and the Cowboys though in recent years he also began to appreciate the Phillies. He had always been an alt-rock guy but after a trip to Texas, he came home a country music convert. His favorite artist was Kenny Chesney, and he and Kelli would go see Kenny every chance they got.

Family, faith and service were important to him.

Bob was a devout Catholic and was at Mass with the family every Sunday, even when on vacation. He took the first 10 minutes of his drive into work for prayer, saying a decade of the rosary and whatever else was on his mind. When the kids were younger, the family would go on retreat to Mary’s House in Cape May where they enjoyed days at the beach while growing their faith together.

Bob enjoyed spending time with extended family too. The Wilson home was host to Christmas for both Bob and Kelli’s family. At least once a year the cousins on the group chat would try and get together for “cousins” dinner. And he only missed Conway Christmas once because the heater broke, and he had to stay home and wait for the repairman.

At Bloomberg he continued to participate in builds for Habitat for Humanity as he did while he was a student at Muhlenberg. When coaches were needed for the boys ’soccer, baseball or basketball teams, he would step up. When a set or a prom float needed to be built, he was there with his tools.

His absolute favorite time of year was Christmas when he got to be a part of Santa’s team by volunteering with Kelli and the boys for Bucks County Toys for Tots. He would come home from work, change and head to the warehouse with at least one kid and spend a few hours helping however it was needed. He could put boxes together in record time. This past year, in addition to providing manpower, he stepped up to help coordinate the campaign.

Bob is survived by his wife of 29 years, Kelli (nee Six); his three sons Matthew, Ryan and Scott; his parents Dorothy and Deacon Edward Wilson of Middletown, NJ; his sister Karen Rizzo of Atlantic Highlands, NJ (Chris); mother-in-law Ree Six-Link of Middletown, NJ (Fred); sister-in-law Katey Patrizio of Union Beach, NJ (Nick); nieces and nephew, Lauren and Ashley Rizzo and CJ and Stephanie Patrizio and many aunts, uncles and cousins who will miss him dearly.

Bob is predeceased by his father-in-law , Raymond B. Six, Jr., and his grandparents Louis and Josephine Kuduk and Harold and Helen Wilson.