Robert Byrne Masteller

Robert (Bob) Byrne Masteller Robert (Bob) Byrne Masteller passed away on March 10th, 2015. He was born in Waverly, NY on Nov 20, 1938, the son of Harold and Edith Peppard Masteller. He was the youngest of five children in a musical family led by his father who was a bandleader, composer, and arranger  playing both classical and jazz violin along with being one of the very  early  vibraphone players in the country. In the music room of their home, Bob began his love of jazz which he passionately believed in as the classic art form in American culture. He described growing up in his home town as Camelot and returned throughout his life. He supported Waverly Little League which gave him a love of baseball although he also excelled at basketball. In 2002, he was inducted into the Waverly Athletic Hall of Fame. Bob received his BA from Hobart College, Geneva, NY on an athletic scholarship and an MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. He served in the US Army before starting his corporate career with Sealright Paper Co., Fulton, NY and later with Alcan Aluminum Co., Oswego, NY where his innovative HR policies were given national recognition by the Wall Street Journal. In 1973,  Bob Masteller was recruited to join the Sea Pines Co. as VP of Human Resources and moved to Hilton Head Island.  Over the next 42 years, he became an integral part of the local community. He served as a board member of Hilton Head Hospital for 18 years and chaired the committee to establish the Ob/Gyn unit at the hospital.  He was a founding board member of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, and was a member of the Concours d'Elegance board. He served as Chairman of the Beaufort County Democratic party and famously played jazz with the President of the United States. Bob wrote the specifications for the positions of Mayor and City Manager of Hilton Head and was involved in the development of Long Cove, Spring and Callawassie Islands as well as Sea Pines. He enjoyed teaching property and resort management at TCL. Bob was honored with their most prestigious arts and humanitarian awards by Beaufort County, the Beaufort County School District, The Town of Hilton Head, Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce and Hobart College. Bob Masteller may be best remembered for The Jazz Corner which he carefully led and nurtured along with his wife of 50 years, Lois, who he described as "the best person in the world and my partner in everything."  For 16  years they steadfastly built  their dream to have it  named by  Downbeat Magazine as one of the top jazz clubs in the world. Together, they started The Junior Jazz Foundation for the preservation of jazz through education and performance,  supplying new and  refurbished instruments to schools, supporting a jazz camp for young people, sponsoring jazz  master classes and workshops, a community jazz festival  and above all, sponsoring live jazz performances of international excellence in our community and throughout Beaufort county. His mission is continued by his wife Lois, their sons, and members of the Masteller family. He is remembered  fondly at Hobart, in Waverly and by the entire Hilton Head community.  He inspired people in a uniquely subtle way, so that they were often unaware that it was his inspiration that drove their achievements. Bob Masteller was rewarded with unwavering loyalty from those many people whose lives he touched gently.   Bob is survived by his wife  Lois, sons  Robert Andrew Masteller (Michelle) of Savannah, GA, David Byrne  Masteller of Hilton Head Island, sister Carol Masteller Jeffers of Painted Post, NY and several wonderful nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, sisters Jean Masteller Regan, Claire Masteller Rioden and brother Harold W.  Masteller. A funeral mass will be held 10am Friday 10th April 2015 at Holy Family Catholic Church, 24, Pope Avenue, Hilton Head SC 29928 followed by a private interment. From 2pm to 5pm, there will be a Musical Celebration of Bob Masteller's life at Honey Horn Plantation, 70, Honey Horn Drive Hilton Head SC 29926 In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to The Junior Jazz Foundation, in memory of Bob Masteller PO Box 23019 Hilton Head SC 29925 or www.thejazzcorner.com Hobart and William Smith Colleges Alumni House, in memory of Bob Masteller, 300 Pultney Street, Geneva, NY 14456 Waverly Little League in memory of Bob Masteller, PO Box 11, Waverly, NY 14892   The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. www.theislandfuneralhome.com