Robert (Bob) Gesford died in Granbury, TX , on September 8th, 2021 from congestive heart failure. He had a “happy death” teasing and joking until he just got too tired to stay awake. He went to sleep and never woke again, passing away six hours later.
Bob is survived by his children, Kathleen Gesford, Lauren Reiter, and Tom Gesford, his grandchildren, Michael Reiter, Carrie Scarvie, Julia Gesford, and Jodi Mae Gesford, and his cousins Carmen and Kate Senese. He is predeceased by his wife, Violet Gesford, his parents, Robert Gesford Sr. and Julia Gesford, and his sister Sheila Lahey.
Bob was born on April 25th, 1930, in Chicago, IL. He was a natural born athlete and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox farm league right after graduating from Harper High School. From there he enlisted in the Army to do a tour of duty in the Korean War where he served as a field radio mechanic and earned a Korean Service Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars, but not before marrying the love of his life, Violet Bandise.
Upon returning home from Korea, Bob followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the electrical union in Chicago. He worked for Kelso-Burnett, one of the oldest and most respected electrical contractors in Chicago, for 25 years. Because of his skill and hard work Bob was promoted to supervisor. The pinnacle of his career was running the largest electrical contracting job in the history of Chicago to this date, the rewiring of the Board of trade Building in downtown Chicago. Bob was literally a legend in his own time, within the Chicago electrical union of about 5,000 people, due to his ability to bid on and win jobs, and subsequently supervise them. At one time he was bringing more revenue into Kelso-Burnett than the company’s president.
In 1978 the cold Chicago winters drove Bob and Violet south to Granbury, TX, where Bob started a new career as an independent insurance agent and opened Acton Insurance. He returned to Chicago in 1989 through 1995 to upgrade his retirement package. Bob retired once and for all in 1995 to live in DeCordova Bend Estates where he enjoyed golfing, reading, following high school and professional sports, and working puzzles. Most of all, however, he enjoyed spending time with friends and family. This where he really shone.
Bob had a huge appetite for life. He was a people person with a unique ability to connect with others. He had such a diverse knowledge base that he could usually find some common ground to make that connection. Bob was also renown for his laugh that you could literally hear from blocks away. His comedic timing and instincts were impressive, always able to get others laughing as well.
The Memorial Mass for Bob Gesford will be held at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Granbury, TX. On Monday, November 15th, at 11:00 am.
The family wants to thank the staff at Quail Park of Granbury for taking such good care of both Violet and Bob Gesford. They were wonderful!
