George Robert Elmendorf

Elmendorf, George Robert "Bob"
ALBANY - It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of George Robert "Bob" Elmendorf, who left us on September 25, 2025. Bob was born on May 8, 1946, in Watertown, N.Y., to George and Jeanette Elmendorf.
Bob grew up in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and he always enjoyed the family's summer home, Camp Gayaga, in Jay, N.Y. Growing up, he and his brother, who were great friends, enjoyed fishing in the Kiln Brook with their Dad near their camp. After graduating high school, he received his BA in Latin and Greek at Union College. He continued his education by taking master's courses in English, Creative Writing-Poetry and counseling from SUNY Plattsburgh. Bob was a published poet in 50 literary magazines.
He was a member of the Old Chatham Quaker Meeting, he was drawn there for the companionship, the silence, and the moral positions. Bob valued education and lifelong learning, and he did pro bono teaching of Latin and Greek in the home school program in Chatham for a number of years. He was a member of several poetry workshops, Clerk of the Outreach and Justice Committee of the Old Chatham Quaker Meeting, Board Member of Powell House Quaker Conference and Retreat Center, volunteering in areas of personnel, fundraising and publicity, Treasurer of Peace Action, Treasurer and Secretary of the Dr. Dhafir Support Committee, Founding Member of the Chatham Peace Initiative, and an advocate for imprisoned Muslims.
Bob said his best loved job was Director of the Big Brother/Big Sister Program for the Clinton County Youth Bureau. He finished his career as a Senior Administrative Analyst at the N.Y.S. Dept. of Taxation and Finance.
He had a passion for reading and music, he loved to play jazz piano. Bob brought joy to those around him through his sense of humor and quiet wisdom. One time, Bob talked Peter into changing places with him when he was in Saratoga Hospital for a serious leg injury. When the nurse came to check on the wound, Peter explained that it was miraculously cured. Only Bob's laughter from the bathroom kept her from calling a priest or a doctor!
Bob is survived by his loving twin brother. Peter (Karen) Elmendorf; nephew, Mark Elmendorf; niece, Kristin (Kevin) Cimini; great-niece, Josette Cimini; great-nephew, Julien Cimini, and many other relatives, and a wide circle of friends, who will forever remember him as a source of strength and inspiration.
Bob's legacy lives on in the lives he touched and in the hearts of those who will continue to honor him by living with kindness and compassion. Whether he was standing up for human rights, or sharing one of his poems, his presence was a gift we cherished every day. He tried to live by "love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13.8).
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 2 p.m., at Old Chatham Quaker Meetinghouse, 539 County Rte. 13, Old Chatham, N.Y., 12136. To reflect Bob's spirit of giving, memorial contributions may be made to Old Chatham Quaker Meeting, Attention OCMM Treasurer, P.O. Box 165, Old Chatham, N.Y. 12136.
For online condolences, visit www.compassionatefuneralcare.com