Robert L. Wessa, Sr., age 93, of Brockton, died on February 12, 2022 at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Needham. Bob was the loving husband for 69 years of Mary (Brewster) Wessa, his grade school sweetheart. Born in Boston on May 22, 1928, he was the son of the late Alfred J. and Elizabeth (Maguire) Wessa.
In his early years, he lived with his Finnish grandmother in the Burrage section of Hanson. He then was raised in Brockton where he attended St. Patrick School and later graduated from Monsignor James Coyle High School in Taunton in 1946. He joined the US Air Force in 1948 and served during the Korean War as a flying crew chief aboard C-47 troop transport aircraft. Upon his discharge, he attended and graduated from the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance.
For 35 years he worked at New England Telephone Company and retired as a Communications
Manager.
Bob had a zest for life, loved his family, enjoyed meeting new people and was a lifelong learner. He was a longtime member of the VFW Post 697, Whitman and was a past Commander. He was a member of the Viking Club, Vega Club, and Lions Club. He was an enthusiastic photographer, and discovered a passion for researching his family’s genealogy. He enjoyed bowling at Westgate Lanes and golfing at DW Field Golf Course. He organized and played in several Brockton Senior Amateur Golf Association tournaments. He enjoyed taking his family camping, maintaining his yard and planting and caring for his beautiful vegetable gardens during the summers. Being accomplished dancers, most of all Bob loved dancing with his beautiful wife.
In addition to his wife Mary, Bob is survived by his three children Eleanor Wessa of Abington, Robert L. Wessa, Jr. of Marblehead, and Sandra Veidenheimer and her husband Richard Veidenheimer of Needham and his two grandchildren Tara and Jay Veidenheimer. He is also survived by his sister (Nelma) Mrs. John E. Carey and his nieces Janel Donlan and Susan Gannon and was uncle to the late Carol Carey. He was the brother-in-law of (Elizabeth) Mrs. Gerald Schleicher and the late Katherine Brewster-Ealy and uncle to Terri Gannon-Wanless, James Gannon, John Wilden, Denise Linn, Jerry Schleicher and Ryan Schleicher.
Visitation will be held in the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) Brockton, Sunday February 20, from 2-4pm. The funeral procession will gather at the funeral home Monday at 9am for a Funeral Mass in Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 10am. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Please consider donations in Bob’s name to the American Heart Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692.