Obituary of Robert Liborio Grillo

Robert “Bob” Grillo, age 93, passed peacefully at home on November 20, 2023. 

Bob was one of a kind.  Born in the Bronx, on April 20, 1930, he was the son of Salvatore and Alba Grillo.  He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1948 and from Iona College in 1952, where he majored in English.  After serving his country in Korea and being awarded the Bronze Star, Bob accepted a position at the Navy Yard in Washington DC in the Office of Personnel Training and Analysis.  In addition to finding a career at the Navy Yard, he also found the love of his life, Jane, in the secretarial pool.  They married soon after in January 1958.

As their family expanded, Bob and Jane settled in Sterling, Virginia where Bob was an active member of his community.  From coaching softball and basketball, to volunteering at a local homeless shelter, to working at the polls on Election Day, Bob was a living example of service and volunteerism throughout his life.

Bob had the heart of a servant, and this perhaps most evident through his involvement in his home parish of St. Joseph Catholic Church.  As a member of the church for almost sixty years, Bob devoted countless hours to the parish. He taught CCD for over thirty years, was member of the Men’s Club, chaired the church barbeque committee, ran donut Sunday, and established a number of prayer groups, including the Nocturnal Adoration Society and the Purgatorial Prayer Society. 

What Bob loved most, besides God and his family and friends, was The New York Yankees.  He attended his first game with his father in 1936 and saw Lou Gehrig play.  Over the course of his lifetime, he saw the Yankees win 24 World Series, but he always longed for one more.  A superstitious fan, he would often wear his “lucky” pants while watching his team on TV, moving from seat to seat until he found his “lucky” chair.

Nothing brought Bob more joy than the family of which he was a part.  He was preceded in death by his wife, whom he lovingly referred to as his “bride,” Jane.  He is survived by his sister, Rosemarie Amoroso; his daughters Teresa (John) Whitmore, Toni (Mike) Kellinger, and Amy (Jonathan) Kales; his grandchildren Katie (Dylan) Scott, Sarah (Andy) Smith, Amy (Jon) Crosby, Evan Kellinger, Ryan Kellinger, Billy Kellinger, Jackson Kales, Noah Kales, and Lily Kales; and his great-grandchildren Aurelia, Evie, and Maggie Scott and Caroline and Drew Smith. Many nieces, nephews, and friends also survive him.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, https://t2t.org/ or the Edmundite Missions, https://www.edmunditemissions.org/.