Robert J. Landers
Beloved son, brother, uncle, godson, and friend
Billerica, Tewksbury and Boston
April 1, 2018
Robert J. Landers, known to most as Bobby, passed away unexpectedly and all too soon at age 67, on April Fool’s Day, Easter Sunday 2018.
Bobby was the beloved son of Mary P. (Fisher) Landers of Tewksbury and the late Robert G. Landers, much loved brother of Diane J. Landers, Jeanne M. Landers, and Judy A. Landers Lieberman and her husband Stephen, and fun uncle to Will Toothaker, KT Toothaker and Joey. He was cherished godson of Ree Wells, former brother-in-law to William Toothaker and devoted best friend to his kindred spirit Chris Merman.
Bobby was deeply devoted to and very much loved by his family, friends, and the family’s big Maine coon cat, Mickey. Bobby very much enjoyed being a special part of the family...the only boy with 3 sisters. He jokingly referred to them as “the good, the bad, and the ugly” and said that those roles often switched. He loved all the family activities, (especially those with good food and presents), the holidays and birthday celebrations, and family reunions hosted by Auntie Lynda and Uncle Lawrence Fisher at their home in Littleton. He loved family trips to NH and Lake Winnipesaukee with friends and cousins. He enjoyed many trips to ol’ Cape Cod with his Landers cousins. Cousin Tim was the closest that Bob came to a having real brother. He loved being the fun uncle and using his gadget to blow up balloons at all the kids birthday parties. He had great fun with his nephew Joey just hanging out, playing, gardening, tinkering with gadgets and tools.
Robert grew up in Billerica and graduated from Billerica Memorial High School in 1968. On the wrestling team he made it to the semi-finals in state championship. He won awards in the science fair and went on to take classes at Lowell Technological Institute. Robert started his own business, 40 Horse Motors, in Lowell rebuilding Volkswagen engines and employed many of his friends and family.
Bob loved inventing things and was extraordinarily creative, clever and sometimes ingenious. He used roller skate parts to make skateboards before anyone had them and made a motorized bicycle with a lawn mower engine. He worked in construction at age 14 and built an amazing tree house 65 feet up. He invented the “Scuba-Duba” for diving 20 feet underwater without tanks.
Bobby was fun, funny, witty, brilliant, silly, adventurous, loving and spiritual in his own way. He had the ability to make friends easily wherever he went. He enjoyed making people laugh and raising spirits with his good humor, jokes and funny stories. He enjoyed scuba diving, took flying lessons, had motorcycles, ski-doos and his own limousine. He had a knack for finding 4-leaf clovers. He enjoyed the lottery and scratch tickets, oldies music, fishing, the Three Stooges, cooking, spicy food. He adored Mickey the cat, taking pictures, videos and sharing on Facebook. He loved riding his bicycle and hanging with his friends at Oakdale Mall, especially his kindred spirit Chris.
He was passionate about gardening and liked planting from seeds he had saved. He loved growing all kinds of vegetables especially pumpkins and sunflowers in his big garden in Billerica where he spent many happy hours with his mom and nephew. He was always generous with the bounty and it made him glad and proud to give fresh vegetables that he had grown to his family, friends, and neighbors.
Bobby always was very close with and devoted to his mother, especially after his father died and he made life fun and still worth living for her. He and Mickey kept her company and he helped with her care when she needed more at their home in Tewksbury.
Bobby was very much loved and will be very much missed. He brought so much life and sparkle to everyone with his spirit, songs, jokes and love which will remain with us forever in our hearts.
Friends and relatives are invited to a graveside prayer service on Wed. April 11, at 2pm at the Tewksbury Cemetery, 172 East Street. A gathering to remember Bob and share stories will be immediately following at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Billerica, 7 Concord Road. All are welcome.