Robert Scarpa, age 60, died unexpectedly on June 3rd at his home in Jackson Heights. Known as Rob to friends, Bob to family, and Bobby to his parents, he was the youngest son of the late Gary Scarpa Sr. and Eleanor Kilgus Scarpa.

Born with an active sense of humor in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and raised in Churchville, Pennsylvania, Bob loved making people laugh. (He understood the power of a well-placed whoopie cushion!) In high school, Bob discovered a passion for the arts, which led him to Parsons School of Design in the 1980s and a career in graphic design, eventually founding Rob Scarpa Design in 2006.

Having moved to Manhattan for college, Rob fell in love with New York and never left, cultivating many deep friendships there over the decades. He took pride in his surroundings and relished any chance to share his adopted home with visitors. Rob believed strongly in caring for––and giving back to––his neighborhood and the planet. In addition to recycling, composting, and reducing his consumption of single-use plastics, he volunteered with multiple organizations, including ACT UP and the Women's March. Infatuated with local history, he was always keen to learn more about his city; on the annual Jackson Heights Botanical Garden tour, Rob opened his mind to leaving his beloved Manhattan for a greener, more nature-friendly borough, prompting an eventual move to Queens. In Jackson Heights, you could find him at the Green Market––he believed in supporting small, local businesses––cleaning up graffiti with the Jackson Heights Beautification Group (click here to view a promo video Bob created for the JHBG: https://www.youtube.com/watch…) or turning previously neglected plots under the trees outside his building into vibrant flower beds. The latter, a primarily self-funded passion project, eventually became a community garden of sorts.

Bob took his self-nominated role as family archivist very seriously, collecting, restoring, and digitizing memories into The Scarpa Legacy (parts I, II & III). His distinctive laugh behind the camera is a beloved feature of home videos, and “Hey Uncle Bob!” was the soundtrack of family gatherings in the ‘90s, chorused by his adoring nieces and nephew, all vying for his generous and coveted attention. Renowned for a jungle gym-like ability to carry two of them (minimum) at any given time, he was highly sought after as a judge for Smelly Feet Contests during this era. Uncle Bob is eternally an honorary member of The Kids’ Table.

After his mother Eleanor's death in 2009, Bob frequently traveled to New Jersey to keep his father company, becoming––as he put it––"Dad’s plus one.” When Gary Sr. died from Covid-19 on New Year’s Eve of 2020, Bobby was beside him.

Rob leaves behind his beloved dachshund Messi, many dear friends, and an adoring family: brothers Gary, Ken, and Mark Scarpa (John Woodard); sister Lenore Scarpa (David) O’Brien; nieces Jennifer Scarpa-Meade, Shea Scarpa (Sean) Gardner, Stephanie Scarpa, Emma Scarpa (Brandon Somes); Maizy Broderick Scarpa (Pierre Douyon), nephew Garrett Scarpa; and great-niece & nephew Savannah and Ramero Scarpa-Meade.

To his neighbors, Rob leaves two sidewalk gardens, outlined in herringbone brick.

Jim Riccio, JHBG Board Member, and fellow 'Graffiti Buster,' penned a beautiful obituary in memory of Rob in the JHBG latest edition of 'Views From the Heights' newsletter. See page 13. https://www.jhbg.org/wp-conte…

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