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Robert J. Lyons Sr.

Robert J. Lyons, Sr. of North Branford, formerly of Hamden, died peacefully at his home on May 31, 2024. Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife of 71 years, Nancy. He was born in New Haven on March 6, 1924, the fourth of six children of George W. Lyons, Sr. and Emma Muggleton Lyons, and lived in Hamden for most of his life. A member of the Greatest Generation, Bob was a WWII veteran, and he was proud to have recently celebrated his 100th birthday with his large family and many friends. Bob lived his life in gratitude. He would often stop to savor life’s moments and proclaim, “How fortunate I am.”

Bob led an extraordinary life. He grew up during the Great Depression when his family endured many hardships. A bright child, he skipped kindergarten and went straight to the first grade at the age of five. He graduated from Hamden High School. During his senior year, his math teacher recommended him to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Not knowing what his future would hold, Bob applied and was accepted. This was an event that Bob attributed to changing his life. His sophomore year at RPI was interrupted when he was drafted into military service. Trained as both a navigator and a radar operator, he was a 1st lieutenant in the 40th Bomb Group of the 58th Bomb Wing and dispatched to Tinian Island in the South Pacific, the then-largest air base in the world. He flew missions on the B-29 Superfortress with his crew on the Smilin’ Jack. Bob was extremely proud of his service to our country and later served on the board of the New England Air Museum and was instrumental in the restoration of the B-29 exhibit Jack’s Hack. He contributed his time to share stories and educate visitors to the museum.

When he returned to RPI after the war to complete his engineering degree, he met the love of his life, Nancy O’Connor, who was attending nearby Russell Sage College. After his graduation in 1950, they married and moved to Hamden, where Bob joined the nascent family business, the Bilco Company, a manufacturer of metal access doors in West Haven. He felt blessed that his RPI education allowed him to make valuable contributions to the company. Bob loved the work that he did, designing many products. He had no fewer than 50 inventions, 40 of which received patents. He loved building a successful business and, especially, working alongside his father and brother and, ultimately, the next generation.

Family was everything to Bob. He loved being the father of his seven children and was extremely proud of the family he built with Nancy. Always planning family gatherings, he loved hosting parties at the pool and backyard barbecues. An avid skier from a young age, he taught all seven of his children how to ski. Every weekend during the winter, he and Nancy packed up the family and caravanned up to Okemo Mountain, meeting up with his brother’s family for a house full of cousins and friends. One of his greatest joys was admiring his kids skiing down the mountain. As his family grew, Bob taught many of his grandchildren to ski. He skied well into his 80s.

An excellent planner, he was meticulously organized (he lived by his little datebook). He loved organizing Thanksgiving dinner every year with 100-plus of the Lyons family and planning family celebrations and his 30-year annual ski trip to Vail with his ski buddies. Bob was a curious person, always interested in how things were made, especially if it had a hinge and a balancing mechanism. He had a flare for decorating and was an excellent cook with several fancy dishes in his repertoire. His grandchildren especially loved his famous breakfast and ice cream sodas. Bob stayed very up-to-date (if not ahead of the curve) with the significant evolution of technology during his lifetime.

Bob had a powerful moral compass. He was the ultimate advice giver to his children, who loved and admired him so much. When making a decision, he was thoughtful and thorough and used common sense and a level head. He had an unwavering commitment to the Greater New Haven community and was a dedicated leader and philanthropist. Bob served on the boards of several organizations, including the Hospital of St. Raphael, the St. Raphael Foundation, the University of New Haven, and The Connecticut Business and Industry Association. He was also the president of the Quinnipiac Club, a member of The National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers, a lector at the church of St. Rita, and a 50-year member of the New Haven Country Club. Bob was awarded the Alumni Key from RPI and is in the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame. He received an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Albertus Magnus College. He was awarded the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Leadership Award and the Sister Ann Virginie Grimes Award for Philanthropy.

Above all else, Bob was completely devoted to his wife, Nancy. The love they shared was beyond compare. Bob often stated that he couldn’t recall a single argument they ever had. They were the perfect team in raising their large family. They both loved people and had a large circle of friends. After Nancy’s passing, not a day went by that Bob didn’t say he missed her so much. We all take comfort in knowing the strength of the love they had for each other and that they are together again at last.

Bob was the consummate husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his children, Robert, Jr. (Carol) of Guilford, Lauragene Lyons (Dr. Lee Katz) of Madison, James Lyons (Kathy) of Buckingham, Pennsylvania, Cheryl Lyons Cunningham (Kevin) of West Simsbury, George Lyons (Patti) of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Mary Lyons Samson (David) of Branford, Richard Lyons (Jennifer) of Madison; 16 adored grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Pamela O’Connor of Roanoke, Virginia; and brother-in-law Nicholas O’Connor (Dorothy) of Smyrna, Georgia. Uncle Bob will be missed by a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy; his brothers, George, John, Edward, and William; and his sister, Dorothy. Bob will be terribly missed by all, but we are ever grateful to have had his loving presence in our lives for so long, and we are joyful of his heavenly reward.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated on June 6 at St. Rita’s Church of St. Paul VI Parish in Hamden. Burial followed in St. Mary Cemetery in Hamden. Friends called on June 5 at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main Street, Branford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Robert Lyons, Sr. Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon Street, New Haven, CT 06510, or go to www.cfgnh.org/funds/robert-lyons-sr-memorial-fund. Please see Bob’s online memorial @ www.wsclancy.com.