Robert D Hewell

Obituary for Robert D. Hewell

Robert D. Hewell, always known as Rob, passed away on November 2, 2024, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was the beloved only child of Robert A. Hewell and Louise C. (Wenzlaff) Hewell, born September 14, 1951, in Santa Barbara, CA. When Rob was growing up, his father's career in the U.S. Navy meant the family lived many places, including Japan and Hawaii. Eventually they settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Rob graduated from Southeast High School. He attended Princeton University, where he was a news director and DJ at the campus radio station WPRB. Upon graduating with a BA degree in architecture and urban planning in 1973, he was offered a position at the General Services Administration (GSA), a U.S. federal agency. He worked there for 42 years, in Washington, D.C., and Texas but mainly in Philadelphia, where he was influential in setting up the GSA Mid-Atlantic Region headquarters. A highlight of his career was serving as the GSA Regional Commissioner for the Public Buildings Service.

Rob was very much at home in Philadelphia. He and his wife, Debra J. Bicker, were married there in 1990. He renovated two houses-one in Bella Vista because it was old and dilapidated, and the other in Queen Village because it exploded when a gas main beneath it broke and ignited. He earned an Executive MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His bocce team won a city-wide championship. He frequented the Philadelphia Folk Festival. He patronized the Italian Market and Isgro's cannolis. Always a cat lover, he personally collected and paid for the neutering of dozens of feral felines in his neighborhood.

Curious and intelligent, Rob had wide-ranging talents and interests. In addition to bocce, he enjoyed running, biking, billiards, and windsurfing. He vanquished N.Y. Times crossword puzzles and played cutthroat Scrabble. He delighted in a good party and excelled at being host or guest. He loved travel, especially when it involved food and wine. He had a deep feeling for architecture and a strong sense of space and design, which fortunately his wife usually shared. Known to be somewhat easily distracted, he got into and out of more predicaments than most people. Everyone has a favorite Rob story, and Rob would be the first to laugh when these were repeated. But perhaps his greatest talent was for friendship. He was open and welcoming, and countless people from every walk of life regarded him as a loyal and generous friend. He will be greatly missed.

Rob is survived by his wife, Deb, and their extended family. Anyone wishing to remember Rob is welcome to donate to Philly House, The Wagner Free Institute of Science, Philabundance Food Bank, or a charity of your choice.