Obituary of Robert Arthur Duffy

Robert A Duffy, age 83 of South Boston, MA and Setauket, NY passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at Birmingham Green in Manassas, VA.

 

Robert (Bobby / Bob) was born on September 7, 1939 to the late Joseph E and Dorothy T (Jones) Duffy of Boston, MA.  Bob was a graduate of South Boston High School where he played football as a speedy wide receiver in the fall, ran track as a hurdler in the spring and was a lifeguard at nearby Castle Island during his summers.  After graduating high school, Bob joined the army and became a proud Green Beret in the 82nd Airborne, based in Fort Bragg, NC.  After his time in the army, he obtained his Associate Degree from Northeastern University.

 

At age 8, Bob and his brothers lost their father, which became a source for his drive, determination and grit in life. Bob was considered a trusted advisor and legend in his field over a span of 45 years as a national account forklift sales executive, covering Industrial clients across the US with Clark Lift Trucks and Crown Equipment Company.  He then concluded his career as a national GM with Toyota Industrial Trucks.  He was known for his deep technical product expertise with his clients, along with his impeccable professional attire and old school, no-nonsense nature as a by-product of Boston in the 1940s and 50s. He passed on his professional style and best practices to the generation that followed by grooming countless sales executives over the course of his career.  

 

Bob was a lover of the NY Giants, his kids, grandkids and great food.  He deeply enjoyed long swims in the icy cold waters of Scusset Beach in Cape Cod (when he still lived in Massachusetts) and later in life along the shores of Spring Lake, NJ and West Meadow Beach as well as the Hamptons on Long Island. During his retirement years, he obtained his private flying license as a hobby.  One could say that Bob was happiest by always being active, whether he was in the sky, in the water or on land.  He unapologetically lived his life through his two guiding principles - integrity and initiative.  He also had a healthy fear of being late, which resulted in his always planning for contingencies (as he would say) and led to his consistently being 30 minutes early for everything. 

 

Bob is survived by his 4 children: Kathy (Ken Rusinski); Karen Duffy, Stephen (Mary Beth), and Brian (Nicole).  He was blessed to have 10 nephews and nieces.  His greatest joy was his 13 grandchildren - Christina, Caroline, Courtney, Drew, Brett, Kate, Sean, Aidan, Colin, Hunter, Eva, Ella and Luke. 

 

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his wife: Arlene (Lehane); his brothers: Joseph (Joe) Duffy; James (Jimmy) Duffy; and his wife Nancy and William (Billy) Duffy; and his wife Barbara.

 

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.  For those wishing to honor Bob, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA).