Robert Van Natta Haines

Robert Van Natta Haines, Esq. of Lake Hopatcong, NJ, died on January 4, 2024 in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan at the age of 72. Bob was predeceased by his father, Robert Alvin Haines, and mother, Marjorie Jane Loller Haines. He is survived by his two sons, Robert V. Haines of Melbourne, FL, and Michael Haines (Nicole Edwardes) of Fort Lauderdale, FL; two grandsons, Samuel and Isaiah Haines, also of Melbourne; his sister, Cherie Haines (David LaPenta) of Rock Hall, MD; brother, Gregory Haines (Elise Haines) of Cape May Courthouse, and his partner in life and love, Debbie Meehan Brown of Lake Hopatcong, NJ. He enjoyed spending time with many loving nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. Bob was a proud graduate of Villanova University ('73) and Seton Hall Law School ('78). Upon his graduation from law school, he clerked for The Honorable Fred C. Galda JSC; worked briefly at Harwood Lloyd LLP in Hackensack, and then his legal career truly blossomed in private practice, Guez & Haines ESQS, also in Hackensack, with his beloved partner, the late Joe Guez. Later he joined Stevens & Schwab, in-house counsel for AIG, worked with them for over 15 years, retiring in 2017. Bob was an eloquent story teller often found at the center of a group of friends and family, enthralling everyone with hilarious tales on every imaginable subject, reflecting his love of and passion for life. Bob was a big sports fan, enthusiastically cheering on his Villanova Wildcats and Philadelphia Eagles. The beach, particularly the Jersey shore, was his happy place. He also enjoyed observing wildlife -- from the small birds at his feeders to the family of Bald Eagles within sight of his favorite chair to the red foxes that usually appear on the snow-covered lake. He'd never been to Lake Hopatcong until he discovered it through Debbie, and he grew to love it for its history and beauty. He rarely missed an opportunity to take pictures of the magnificent sunsets. He enjoyed power boating, kayaking, planting beautiful lakefront gardens and participating in as many community events as time would allow. He seized every opportunity to travel far and wide but also treasured spur-of-the-moment getaways to sometimes unlikely places. A life well-lived. A celebration of his life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024 at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, 31 Pennswood Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. Contributions in his memory may be made to The Seeing Eye (seeingeye.org).