ROBERT OGDEN

OGDEN--Robert. May 8, 1939 - October 1, 2019. Over the course of 80 years, Robert Ogden lived. He traveled the world, launched and ran businesses across a myriad of fields, and raised five children. He spent six decades producing, mixing, broadcasting, and recording live music, working with the likes of James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Elton John, and Hank Williams, Jr. He received one star from Mimi Sheraton in this very paper (July 2, 1982, Section C, P16) for his well-known restaurant, Lady Astor's, and ran a long-standing theater and lounge/ private event space known as Dominion, NY, which specialized in underplays and private events. His greatest achievements, however, cannot be quantified. He united people from all over the world through friendships that lasted well beyond the time of business - the end result being a family that consists of members with roots in the U.S., Canada, China, El Salvador, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Sweden, and Taiwan, amongst countless other countries and regions. While most turned a blind eye, Robert extended a helping hand to those who were in search of a new life. He provided work and shelter without discrimination, and offered love and care to all he encountered. Loving and being loved by Robert was complex; his temper was as legendary as his warm embrace. But that's what taught us what we all now know: No human being can be summarized in a few paragraphs. Certainly not one who saved and changed so many lives throughout his 80 years in New York City and abroad.