Robert "Bob" Allan Wilby

PAXTON - I'm writing to say goodbye to my blessed wife, Nancy (Hogancamp) Wilby, for 58 years of life together through a wonderful relationship of support and care. Goodbye to our son, David Wilby of Brunswick, ME, and his wife Jennifer Snow, their son Calder and daughter Ellison Wilby. Goodbye to our wonderful daughter Tonya Wilby, and her three daughters, Madison, Nadia and Zoe Martowska, of Gardner, MA. I want to say goodbye to our amazing family, friends, local and district Lions members, fellow Bay Path committee members, and former co-workers.

I was born March 22, 1943, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, to Cyril Garnet and Doris (Feild) Wilby, and I was raised by my parents and grandmother Florence Feild in Toronto, Port Hope and Kingston. In 1962, I came across the border to join the U.S. Marine Corps. I spent four years in the Marines, during which time I became a naturalized American citizen, and was promoted to Sergeant E5. After marrying Nancy in Charlestown, NH, in 1965, we realized the Marine Corps was not a future for us and I started my civilian career with the Dunfey Hotel and Restaurant Corporation. In 1969, I joined SkyChef, then the food division of American Airlines, spending six years working in the Boston, Chicago, and Syracuse airports. In 1975, I became the manager of the The Country Kitchen Restaurant in Brattleboro, VT. After several years there, I realized a long-time ambition of owning my own business, The Trolley Stop, in Nancy’s hometown of Charlestown with her father, Ralph Hogancamp. Subsequently, I held a couple of sales positions until moving to Paxton, MA in 1989 where I took a position with AAA. After 20 years as the manager of the AAA office in Worcester, I retired in 2010.

My love has always been service, whether in a restaurant, AAA, or elsewhere. The Lions Club has been a central feature of my many years of serving people, as I have been a Lion for almost 49 years, serving on the local and district levels, as well as receiving several awards. Eighteen years ago, I was elected to represent Paxton on the Bay Path Vocational School Committee. I served as Chairman for two years and chaired numerous subcommittees. I loved the school, the opportunities it provides its students, and am so thankful to have been able to serve on the school committee all these years.

Using my travel knowledge, I revamped the Paxton Senior Center bus trips in 2010 and began to run one trip a month for eight months of the year. I also organized annual group trips for local seniors to Alaska, National Parks, Ireland, Italy (twice), Iceland, Austria/Switzerland, and Great Britain. Service to others has always been my main focus, whether being a leader in Lions, serving on committees in Charlestown or Paxton, or in recent years, starting and advising several Leo clubs, the future of Lions.

Nancy and I spent over 30 years camping together, by ourselves or with friends all over New England and beyond.

Thank you to all my family and friends who have supported me throughout my 80 years, and particularly those who have reached out or lent a hand during my illness. I have a lot of gratitude for the doctors, nurses and staff of St Vincent's Hospital and the VNA Hospice Care.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Bob’s family from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday, August 27th, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden. A funeral service will take place 11:00 am on Monday, August 28th, at the funeral home, followed by interment at Mooreland Cemetery in Paxton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lions District 33A Sight and Hearing Fund c/o President Dennis Landry, 32 Clark Street, Gardner, MA 01440; or Mass Lions Eye Research Fund, c/o President John Riemer, 2 Brian Circle, Grafton, MA 01519; or Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School Scholarship Fund, 57 Old Muggett Road, Charlton, MA 01507. For anyone attending the calling hours or services who wishes to bring used eyeglasses to donate to those in need through the Lions Used Eyeglass Recycling Program, there will be a collection box available.

To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit his tribute wall.