Robert W. Bermudes

The Rev. Dr. Robert (Bob) Bermudes, 95, of Cambridge, MA, was born at Springfield, MA, on January 15, 1930. Six weeks later he, with parents Ralph and Charlotte Bermudes and older brother Donald, flew as "excess baggage" to Puerto Rico where his parents were Presbyterian missionaries at the Marina Neighborhood House of Mayaguez. He died while in hospice care on January 23, 2025, having served United Church of Christ Churches in Hartford, CT (while a student from 1953-55), Lorain, OH (1955-57), New Britain, CT (1957-62), Groton, CT (1962-72), and Rochester, NY (1972-93).
Bob was a 1948 graduate of The Tilton School. He went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Hiram college in 1952 before graduating with a Master of Divinity from The Hartford Theological Seminary in 1955. During 1964-65 he underwent supervised training in the Clinical Pastoral Education program at the Norwich State Hospital in Norwich, CT. In 1969 he and wife Sally attended a month-long summer session at Mansfield College, Oxford University, England studying with some of the world's most erudite biblical scholars. In 1980 he earned a Doctor of Divinity degree from Colgate/Rochester Crozier Divinity School.
Following his ordination in 1955 in the First Congregational Church of Woburn, MA, Bob was called to be assistant minister of the First Congregational Church of Lorain, OH, where he met and married Sally Ruth Brown in 1956. In 1993, following 21 years as senior pastor of the Irondequoit United Church of Christ in Rochester, he retired and was elected to be only the second Pastor Emeritus in the 100-year history of the church.
While the development of pastoral care programs and counseling were major foci of Bob's pastorates, he also was a prolific researcher and writer. His first major research work, "A Ministry to the Repeatedly Grief-Stricken," published in The Journal of Pastoral Care, illuminated the psycho-spiritual needs of separation on submariners' families. This work was undertaken at the request of the United States Navy Chaplaincy Service while in Groton-home of a U.S. submarine base. His recommendations for support group structures are still widely applied in the U.S. navy and the Australian army. After some revision, another aspect of the article found a home in The Chaplain, where it appeared under the title, "Separation: It's Effects and Adaptation,' focusing on new forms of pastoral care for civilian churches. In addition, during his Groton tenure, Bob became a Director of the Seaman's Friends Society, and founded the Inter-Faith Housing Corporation of New London, CT, that built 100 units of affordable housing.
His 1983 book, Conquering Cancer: A Guidebook for Cancer Therapy Counseling, a book created from Bob's doctoral dissertation, established him in the field of pastoral counseling. He would later found the Irondequoit Cancer Counseling Clinic. He was also instrumental in creating a full-time chaplaincy program at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, CT, at Rochester General Hospital, and the University of Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital where he had previously carried out his doctoral research in the Radiation Therapy Unit. In 1990 he was instrumental in the founding of Sunset House, an Irondequoit hospice service for the terminally ill.
Following a ten-day trip to El Salvador and Nicaragua in 1988 during the Contra War, Bob became an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Americas and his opinions were widely covered in the local press. Indeed, Bob's Groton and Rochester tenures were remembered by many for his sense of humor and fearless voice in promoting peace and justice issues, expressed through his sermons and more than fifty "Opinion" pieces and commentaries.
While in Rochester Bob became a facilitator of Jewish-Christian-Muslim conversations and a regular contributor to the journal, Middle East International. His study "Jihad: Violence or Spiritual Struggle?" appeared in the August 1994 issue of MEI and was required reading for courses at the United States War College.
After retiring in 1993 Bob and Sally moved to Cape Cod, MA, where he served a total of thirty-eight months in interim pastoral capacities in the Barnstable Association of the United Church of Christ: at First Congregational Church of Chatham, the Federated Church of Orleans, and the Federated Church of Cotuit.
In the early days of retirement Bob transitioned his photography hobby into a full-time professional career when he was juried into the prestigious Artisans' Guild of Cape Cod in 2000. Until 2013 he sold Cape Cod scenes at the guild's outdoor shows, in five area gift shops, and for local internet ads, magazines, and newspapers.
In addition to photography, Bob picked up golf during his tenure in Rochester under the watchful eye of his Rochester friend and mentor Dr. Louis Dickens. In 1997 Bob shot the only hole-in-one of his twelve-year golfing career on the thirteenth hole of Chatham's Eastward Ho! country club. After the round, a friend, hearing of his achievement, congratulated the amateur golfer and asked, "What's your handicap?" to which Bob humbly replied, "Every club in the bag."
Dr. Bermudes is survived by his wife Sally Ruth Brown; three sons, Robert, Jr. of Rochester, NY, Mark (Kathleen) of Southport, NC, and Peter (Deb) of Arlington, MA; three grandchildren, Teresa, Maya and her fiancé Borja, and Galen; great-granddaughter Morgan; and chihuahua Pixie. Bob is remembered by family for the brightness of his smile, his love of cookies and martinis, his caring nature, and his staple accessory: his rainbow suspenders.
No calling hours. Private ceremony at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Bob's favorite causes: the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, or
Palestine Children's Relief Fund.