Robert E. Dugroo

LEESBURG, Fla. — Robert Edward Dugroo, 76, a retired computer engineer with International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), died on Aug. 23, 2008, of natural causes, at Leesburg Regional Medical Center, Leesburg.

A resident of Leesburg since 2001, he came from Cape Cod with his wife, Eugenia (Alice), of 51 years.

Mr. Dugroo was born in Holyoke, Mass., in 1932, of parents Genevieve E. Adamiak and Edward R. Dugroo. He attended the Holyoke school system and graduated from Holyoke High School in 1950. Mr. Dugroo started his career as a Navy radio technician aboard the destroyer USS Charles R. Ware, where he diligently studied electronics. As a Navy veteran, he joined IBM and held numerous engineering positions in customer service, education and assurance divisions for state-of-the-art mainframe computers. He and his family held residences in Thompsonville and Hazardville, Conn., West Hurley and Hyde Park, N.Y., and Eastham.

Mr. Dugroo was a member of the Morgan Hill Game Association and president of the Hurley Little League. He held various jobs throughout his retirement on Cape Cod, including general contracting of custom homes and hotel management at the Ships Bell Inn and Seashore Park Motor Inn. He also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, census taking, and videotaping whales on the Dolphin fleet of Provincetown.

Mr. Dugroo was known for his generosity, brilliant craftsmanship with wood and tools, and willingness to lend a helping hand. He was especially fond of animals, in particular his pet Cairn Terriers Toby and Bonnie Doone, and beagle Tammy.

His hobbies included salt, fresh water and fly fishing, rooting for the New England Patriots, and the Blue Man Group.

His wife, Eugenia (Alice) Dugroo, died in 2004.

He is survived by two children, Cynthia Jean of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Mark Edward (Jacqueline) of Silver Spring, Md.; three grandchildren, Christopher Andrew DeHart, Joanna Alice Dugroo, and Katherine Jane Dugroo; and a brother, Eric Dugroo of Holyoke, Mass.

The service will be held in private at the convenience of the family.