Birth date: Aug 15, 1944 Death date: Jan 17, 2026
Robert “Bob” Alan Stern, age 81, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2026, in Gainesville, Florida, the city he proudly called home for more than six decades. Bob was born on August 15, 1944, in Miami, Florida, and was raised Read Obituary
I am so sorry to hear of Bob's passing. He was a good attorney, gave good advice, cared about his clients, and was a decent man. In fact, he helped me through a very difficult time with the passing of my own Mom. My heart goes out to his family. I will remember him fondly. May he rest in peace.
I first met Bob (Bobby ) when I was 12. My family had just moved around the corner from his home. We hung out, zillions of hours through our junior high days, less in high school but still a ton. Lots of bike riding earlier, but so much just hanging out, talking about lord knows what. Did we place some prank calls to random strangers in our early teens telling people that we represented Smith Smith and Jones Elephant Emporium and that the elephant they ordered would be delivered tomorrow and they should be sure to have their hay ready? Yup. That was us. We spent time being bored together too. Bobby was patient, kind, forgiving. Funny Solid. Steady. Really There. I went to USF after we graduated graduated Beach Hi in 62. Then my life took me a bunch of non Florida places. I live in Maine now. I very much enjoy our too few visits with Bob and Connie. It’s been a few years since I told him I’d phone again soon. Life gets in the way.
But here’s the extraordinary thing, add itconcerns how I learned about Bob’s passing. On January 15, a bunch of us were having our monthly meeting, and on this particular zoom gathering the topic was boyhood, boys growing up, pressures on boys that so often keep them isolated, forces that keep them from really growing into themselves, they keep them just following society’s expectations of them, stereotypes about what a boy is supposed to become. And then one of the references we’re using to center. The dialogue said that for many lucky boys, there is one particular friend who threw out their use was a steady godsend, a source of closeness and steadiness without whom childhood and teen years might not have been survivable. A dramatic statement but immediately Bobby came to my mind and I felt a strong need to get in touch with him to let him know how important he was to me throughout all those years. I promised myself that I would give him a call within the next days, and so away began to search through my contacts, and I had lost track of Bob And Connie‘s address and phone number. Now it’s the end of January, and my search took me to this sad announcement. I was too late to tell him that he was the boy who was the most important friend to me during so many pivotal years. I hope Connie reads this. I’m so sorry to have missed telling him how important I realize he was. The best.
I first met Bob when I went to his wedding with Connie. Paula and I flew in from Chicago. (Standby on Eastern Airlines) ob just got out of Law School and Connie worked at a theater selling tickets.
We stayed at Connie's parents' house. I slept in her dad's sailboat and on the porch.
A funny story: I wonder if Bob would have remembered.
It was the day of the rehearsal. Bob bought a glass to practice crushing it for the wedding. When he slammed his foot down, the glass stayed intact. He tried over and over, each time more intensely. It turned out the glass was really made of a very strong plastic. It's a good thing he found that out before the wedding.
Paula and Connie were best friends, and being in her wedding party was a source of great pride for her.
That was the start of a very happy marriage.
Bob was my alum from Beach High '62. When I lived in Gainesville in 2002-2003, I developed medical issues that were diagnosed as cancer. I was indebted to Bob and Connie for helping me. It was always so wonderful to see them at our alumni festivities. I was so sad to hear of his paying. His memory is such a blessing.
