Robert Jerome Leary, 83, of Brooklyn, New York, died November 24, 2024, after a yearslong struggle with Alzheimer’s and prostate cancer. A caring, generous man, he will be missed by those lucky enough to get to know him.

Robert was born December 10, 1940 in Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn to parents Robert Sr. and Eva Leary. From a young age, he was predisposed to want to help people. He wrote a report in school that he wanted to be a surgeon or a chef when he grew up – so long as he could help soothe people’s insides.

He graduated from Brooklyn Tech High School in 1954 before attending the City College of New York, where he studied engineering. Robert, motivated by his desire to help others, then enlisted in the Army, serving from 1962-65. He was stationed at the 23rd Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany and was a member of the 69th Signal Photo Company.

After being honorably discharged from his service – awarded to high-achieving military officers – Robert received vocational training to be a switching equipment technician. He would work at The Telephone Company of New York from the 1960s through the 1990s. He had retired by the early 2000s, with a pension, and ran his own graphic design business from home.

His passion for photography did not end with his military service. He worked as a freelance photographer for the Home Reporter and the Brooklyn Senator, and he designed and printed his own holiday greeting cards using photos of flowers he snapped at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. This intersected with his passion for technology: He owned four personal computers during the technology boom of the 1980s and 1990s.

Robert lived in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn in a home that’s been in the family for almost 100 years. He led a quiet life, but was a steward of his community and family. He knew everyone on his block and had relationships with local business owners. He had a favorite butcher, a favorite place for baklava and a favorite place for German and Polish pastries. He hung up greeting cards from loved ones on his walls, a tradition he started when caring for his late father.

Robert was generous with his time – he didn’t drive and so was never in a hurry – especially with his sisters’ children and grandchildren. He taught them how to fish, go boating and properly handle firearms; he was known as a “marksman.”

He was a member of numerous organizations, including the Cousteau Custodians Of The Sea, The American Legion, the National Geographic Society, the NRA, the American Diabetes Association, the Telephone Pioneers, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the Sierra Club, the Maimonides Prostate Cancer Support Group, the Bay Ridge Art Association, the Brooklyn Elementary School System, the Riflemans Club, the Boy Scouts, the VFW and the Rifleman. Robert was passionate about the environment and regularly made contributions to national parks.

Robert spent his final years at Sunrise Assisted Living in Sheepshead Bay. He had a view of the water, and he liked to watch ships come and go, a reminder of his time building and owning boats: He loved to sail his boat, The Jicarilla, throughout the Upper and Lower Bays of New York Harbor.

He is survived by his great niece Desiree Artesse, his great-nephew-in-law John Artesse, his niece Marie Artesse Gray, his nephew-in-law Larry Gray, his niece Alisabeth Thurston-Hicks, his great niece Catherine Thurston-Hicks, his nephew Jon Thurston, his niece-in-law Tali Thurston; his great niece Monica Schlitt and his niece Suzi Murphy.

His family welcomes anyone who knew Robert to attend his memorial service at Joseph P. Clavin & Sons funeral home in Bay Ridge on January 10 at 11 a.m. Those who can’t join in person can watch the service via the YouTube streaming link on his memorial website: everloved.com/life-of/robert-jerome-leary/funeral.

Military honors and burial will take place the following day at All Faiths Cemetery in Queens at 11 a.m. Loved ones are also welcome to join his family at the noon Sunday Mass Service at St. Anselm’s RC Church in Bay Ridge.

Robert’s family welcomes any expression of condolences. Flowers may be sent to his family via his memorial website. In lieu of flowers, donations to Robert’s favorite wildlife conservation organizations are welcome. You can find these at: everloved.com/life-of/robert-jerome-leary/donate.

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