Richard Joseph Cobb M.D.

1931 - 2021

Dr. Richard J. Cobb's good run ended on September 28, 2021. He lived a rich, adventurous life grounded in faith, family, education, and warm friendships. Dick, more fondly known as Grandpa, was born to Charles W. Cobb, Jr., and Cecelia (Glynn) Cobb on April 18, 1931, and was married for sixty-four years to his beloved wife, Patricia (Campion) Cobb. From childhood, Dick knew he wanted to be a doctor, and he studied and worked diligently to achieve his goal. He attended Saint Thomas the Apostle School, Saint Thomas Seminary, and spent his college days at Providence College, his cherished alma mater. From there he went on to earn his medical degree at The New York Medical College in New York City. After completing his internship at St. Francis Hospital, Dick and Pat initially settled their growing family in Norfolk, where he was a general practitioner and served in the National Guard. The family moved to New Haven, where Dick completed his radiology residency at Saint Raphael Hospital. Dick loved being a radiologist and he particularly enjoyed learning about every new imaging modality over the course of his career. After working at Saint Francis Hospital for a few years, he teamed up with his friend and colleague Dr. Kenneth White to form the Cobb and White Radiological Group, later Connecticut Valley Radiological Group. After years of private practice, Dick joined the ranks of the teaching faculty at the UConn School of Medicine, accepted a six-month fellowship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and completed a stint as Head of Radiology at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, NY. He ended his career by returning to UConn, retiring at the age of 75 in 2006. Wherever they went, Dick and Pat made their mark in the community, forging life-long friendships along the way. In 1964 Dick and his family settled in the diverse and vibrant Blue Hills section of Hartford, where he and Pat raised their seven children on Canterbury Street, just down the block from St. Justin's Church and School. It was his idea to transform their backyard into a playground, a place where many of Hartford's finest basketball players found their touch. He loved the neighborhood and all his neighbors and welcomed into his well-lit kitchen any girl who wanted her ears pierced, neighborhood boy who was looking for a buzz cut, and anyone who suffered a minor mishap and required a quick stitch or two in a pinch. In the summer of 1983, Dick and Pat moved to Bushnell Towers, where Dick quickly became a fixture in the Downtown scene. He could often be spotted walking his beloved standard poodles, first Buddy and later Brandy Alexander, who was a particular comfort to him in his final years. Dick served on the Board of Directors at Community Health Services and was also a patron of the Hartford Library, where he volunteered to help people file their income taxes. A communicant at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, Dick became great friends with many of the Franciscan Brothers who work and reside there. Dick lived a healthy lifestyle and centered his social life around exercise and being outdoors with friends. He was an avid tennis player throughout his thirties, but when he caught the running bug in the mid-1970s, he went all-in. For years he and his group of jogger friends gathered most days at the crack of dawn at Reservoir 6 to run and enjoy each other's camaraderie. Dick participated in the Manchester Road Race for decades and was duly proud of completing several marathons, including Boston and New York a number of times. In his later years he took up the game of golf, which allowed him to focus his energies on learning a new sport and to garner more lasting friendships. A devout Catholic, Dick loved people and treated everyone he encountered with dignity, respect, and a natural, cheerful grace. He had a good word for everyone he passed and served as a model of humility and kindness to his children and grandchildren, especially when he interacted with those most in need. There was always room for one more at his and Pat's table, and Dick relished every opportunity to regale his guests with family stories, complete with his trademark embellishments. Holidays always included a couple of his colleagues or students from around the globe sharing the occasion, many of whom became part of the fabric of his family. Dick had the gift of kindness. Dick's greatest legacy was instilling the value of education, as his motto was "education does not cost, it pays." He believed there was no more lasting or valuable gift, and he took great pride and satisfaction in supporting and encouraging his children's and grandchildren's educational endeavors. Dick was predeceased by his mother, father, and brother, Charles. Besides his loving wife Dick leaves his children and their families: Richard, Jr. (Terry), Charles (Ellen Pinkos Cobb), Michael (Susan), John (Leslie Virostek), Mary Gothers (Timothy), Joseph (Dana), and Christopher. His fifteen grandchildren cherish their memories of him: Richard III, Sarah, Jessie, Timothy, Elizabeth, Catherine, Grace, Sean, Connor, Aidan, Caroline, Abby, Meghan, Elise, and Aileen. He also leaves six great-grandchildren and his sister-in-law, Nicki Cobb, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank all of his wonderful caregivers whose compassionate attention was a comfort to Dick and his family in his final years. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church 285 Church St. Hartford on Saturday, October 2, at 10:00 AM, with calling hours beginning at 9:00 AM at the Church. The Mass will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to The House of Bread, 1453 Main Street, Hartford, CT, or to the Franciscan Center for Urban Ministry, 385 Church Street, Hartford, CT. Directions and a link to live stream available at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.