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Robert E. Cossaboon

Oct 12, 1930 - Apr 22, 2021

Robert E. Cossaboon

October 12, 1930 - April 22, 2021

Obituary

Robert E. Cossaboon, 90 years young, passed away on April 22, 2021. A 65 year resident of Greece, NY
Bob's Family Bob is predeceased by his wife, Patricia Sullivan Cossaboon, son, David Cossaboon & sister, Mary Ann Campbell. He is survived by his children, John Cossaboon, Karen Cossaboon and Diane (Patrick) Sturmer. Bob's grandchildren include Rachel (Andrew) Schoeneman, Ben (Cori) Hill, Shannon Holm, Spencer Holm & Connor Holm; great-grandchildren, Alethea Hill, Declan Hill, Evie Hill, Finley Hill, Aidan Schoeneman, Amber Schoeneman; nephew, William Campbell & loving companion, Arlene Fargnoli.

Growing up in Bolivar, New York, a small, rural 'oil town' (population 2,500). Bob was raised by Frank and Edna Cossaboon, through the depression era and the 40's. His parents worked several jobs, eventually moving to Rochester NY to work at Kodak and McCurdy's. They taught Bob and his sister Mary Ann to work hard, study hard, live honestly and play sports fairly - values he demonstrated and passed on to his children.

Bob (nick name: Coss) loved studying math and science and played varsity year-round high school sports as a Bolivar Bulldog. He was a star basketball, football and track athlete, who sported a 'mohawk' haircut when he qualified for NYS Track & Field District 5 Championships as a miler, where he ran a 4:28 mile.

Robert met his future wife, Patricia Cossaboon, as a youngster. Cossaboon and Sullivan family historians relate that Bob annoyed his classmate Patsy to the point where she stole his snow boots on the walk home from school and hid them in a snow pile...to Bob's chagrin. He used to go to the Sullivan family's back door to ask to play baseball with Pat's brother. Later, in high school, he went to the Sullivan's front door and asked Pat's father if he could take his daughter on a date. They married after graduating college, in 1953, had 4 active children, took many camping trips and enjoyed their partnership for 56 years.

College years, What led Bob Cossaboon to attend Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. His Mother, Edna, took him to a college scholarship exam as a Bolivar High School Senior (class size: 38 students). They took a train to Buffalo, NY and his test score won Bob a 4-year scholarship to Notre Dame University, where he pursued his Mechanical Engineering degree. played club basketball, and attended ND football games.

Bob's career, after Bob was drafted by the U.S. Army the week after his Notre Dame graduation. After he and Pat were married, they moved to army boot camp in Texarkana, AK., where their first son John was born. He and Pat returned to the Southern Tier to work as a teacher and an engineer at Pre-Heater and later Eastman Kodak as a design/mechanical engineer and quality control chairman. Bob retired after 36 years, and consulted with Chapin Industries in Batavia, NY.

Lifetime sports and fan-dom, in his 40s and 50s Bob continued to golf, play basketball and volleyball and train for road races, finishing the Philadelphia Half Marathon (1 hour:48 minutes) when his daughter Karen Cossaboon Holm finished 7th in 1 hour:16 minutes. As a sports fan, Bob enjoyed following the Buffalo Bills into 4 Super Bowls (1991-94) and beyond, Jack Nicklaus' 73 PGA wins and 18 PGA Major record setting wins and Tiger Woods pursuit of Nicklaus's records, Notre Dame Football wins and Lou Holtz's quotes: "Life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond to it; No one ever drowned in sweat and I can't believe that God put us on earth to be ordinary". Bob often traveled to see the US Women's Soccer Team phenom Mia Hamm play, since she was coached in her youth by Bob's son John. Mia captained the US team in 2 of the team's 4 World Cup wins and 4 NCAA championships for North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bob's interests included reading Grisham, Michener, Joyce Kearns Goodwin, Rachel Madow, studying American History, camping in US Parks and hiking the Long Trail. Bob admired political leaders like Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jack and Bobbie Kennedy and Barrack Obama. He spent hours studying wildlife wood carving with the Genesee Valley Wood Carving Association and participated in many wood carving shows. Each of his offspring are receiving one of his pieces of artwork. Bob and his loving companion Arlene Fargnoli have enjoyed over a decade of caring for one another, enjoying social events, the Heritage Christian Services Heart of Dance, St. Marks Church, theatre, movies and music (Chris Bodie, Tony Bennet's duets, Marian McPartland) and Bob's son-in-law Patrick's family band, the Smugtown Stompers.

Robert's memorial service will be celebrated on Saturday 10:00 am on May 1st at the Villages at Unity, 1477 Long Pond Rd, Rochester NY 14626 (Behind Unity Hospital) Please park in the center section and enter the facility at the West Village or East Village entrance to sign in and have temperature taken. Head to the Village square in the middle near cafeteria and the service will be in room in that area. If you need to come right in and have less of a walk, please enter the center door near the cafeteria. There will be ushers outdoors to help direct you.

Memorial donations can be made in Bob's name to University of Notre Dame St. Joseph Scholarship, 120 Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556 in Robert's memory.

Services

Memorial Celebration
Sat, May 1, 2021 at 10:00 am
Villages at Unity

1477 Long Pond Rd.
Rochester, NY 14626

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