Robert “Bob” McKane

In the end, the man with a large and compassionate heart may have passed, in part, due to a broken one.

Robert “Bob” McKane took his last breath on August 9th, a little more than seven months after his beloved wife and partner of more than 65 years, Nancy, passed away.

To say this has been a difficult year for all who knew and loved them would be a massive understatement. Yet Bob’s impact on the lives of his family and friends also cannot be overstated.

Bob knew Nancy was “the one” from the moment they met as teenagers at a high school dance in the late 1950s in Buffalo, NY.

After serving two years in the United States Army with honor and distinction as part of the Allied Forces in Berlin, Germany, Bob returned home. He married Nancy, and together they began building a life filled with love, hard work, and family.

The regimen of the military quickly turned an admittedly rambunctious teenager into a focused, hard-working adult. While working multiple jobs, he and Nancy bought a home and soon welcomed their children: first Scott, then Jeffrey three years later, and finally his baby girl, Stacy Marie.

Thanks to his easygoing manner, quick way with numbers, striking blue eyes, and ever-present smile, Bob found a natural fit in sales. He rose quickly through the ranks at ITT Continental, then the parent company of Wonder Bread. Just as he was preparing to move his family to New York City for a promotion, he was recruited by Sam Freedman to join Kaufman’s Bakery.

The “Jolly Little Baker” was already a local institution, but Sam saw in Bob someone who could help it grow. Over the next three decades, Bob—alongside Sam’s son Bernard Freedman—expanded Kaufman’s across New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Despite the long hours that came with being VP of Sales, Bob never lost sight of what mattered most: his family…Bob honestly loved being a dad!

He was always there to guide, counsel, and, when necessary, deliver some “tough love”—particularly to his own rambunctious sons. He was also a steady presence for his extended family, especially his beloved nieces and nephews.

Family vacations in Fort Erie, summer clambakes, and Christmas evenings that always ended at the McKane home created a lifetime of cherished memories.

Bob made countless business acquaintances and friends, but two of the closest were Richard Crumrine and Rose Bunz. Together with Nancy, the four of them became inseparable—a “Fearsome Foursome of Fun.”

Bob & Uncle Dickie shared a love of tennis, they all loved traveling, and above all, were passionate fans of the Buffalo Bills.

They attended two of the team’s Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s, and though the defeats were crushing, Bob never lost hope: “Next year will be our year!”

That passion for the Bills became a family tradition, passed down to his sons and later to his grandsons, Jack and Lucas. Just this summer, Scott, Lucas, and Bob had talked about making one more trip to Buffalo together for a game. Sadly, it was not to be.

Bob’s final year was marked by profound loss.

Nancy, his companion of more than six decades, passed away on New Year’s Eve. A month later, his brother Gordon also passed. Though Bob insisted he was fine, the weight of grief was evident.

In early August, he was diagnosed with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA), a neurological condition that caused brain hemorrhaging. Ever the optimist, the “glass-half-full guy,” Bob remained hopeful, but his health declined quickly.

A week after entering the hospital, he was gone.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, William and Irene; his brothers, David and Gordon; and his beloved wife, Nancy.

He leaves behind his children:

• Scott, his wife Cristina, and their children Gabriela, Lucas, and Alexandra

• Jeffrey, his wife Holly, and their children Jack and Megan

• Stacey Marie, and her daughters Grace and Bella

He also leaves behind his first great-grandchild, Mia, who will be born at the end of August to his granddaughter Megan.

For those who knew him, this remembrance barely scratches the surface of an extraordinary life and the countless ways Bob enriched the lives of others…he was truly a man amongst men.

He was especially proud of his military service, so in lieu of flowers, consider a donation to your local Veterans Administration in his honor.

The family would like to thank the staff of the Abbington Senior Apartments in Murray, Utah, especially Mark Chidester, for their kindness during Bob’s stay, and the doctors and nurses at Intermountain Healthcare for the care and compassion they showed dad his final days.

The man we knew as “Bob O” never left an encounter without a hug, a smile, an “I love you,” and his trademark phrase: “Slow and easy.”

We love you, Big Guy, Go Bills and Rest in peace.

Services:

A Rosary will be held at 6:30 PM on Friday, August 22, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Holladay.

A Funeral Mass will follow the next morning, Saturday, August 23, at 11 AM, with a celebration of Bob’s life immediately after.

Please join us for a pint of Guinness, a glass of red wine, or any drink of your choice to honor a life well lived and never forgotten.