Robert George "Bob" Stauf

Robert George Stauf of Yonkers passed away peacefully on September 16, 2025 after a lengthy final illness. He died at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers at the age of 83 years old.

A native of New York City, Bob was born there on September 10, 1942 to the late George Stauf and Anne Horton. Raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side and later in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx, he attended Holy Trinity Grammar School, Fordham Preparatory School, and Fordham University where he earned his Bachelor's degree.

After graduating from Fordham, Bob began a decades-long career as a teacher first at St. Philip Neri Grammar School in The Bronx before moving to Yonkers where he taught in the City's public schools at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, P.S. 13, P.S. 21, and the PEARLS Hawthorne School. Innately curious, well read, and world-travelled, Bob was a lifelong learner, educator, and mentor dedicated to fostering understanding through meaningful exchanges across cultural, generational, economic, and racial lines.

To call Bob a pillar of his parish and community is a tremendous understatement. For his entire adult life, both in professional and personal circumstances, he tirelessly championed the cause of the underdog, the downtrodden, and the disenfranchised.

First and foremost in all things came Bob's Roman Catholic faith. Nurtured at home by his loving parents and further developed at Fordham by the Jesuits, with whom he maintained close ties for the entirety of his life, it was the bedrock upon which the rest of his life was built. Bob's faith shaped his relationships and guided his decisions. It was the lens through which he viewed this world and the life to come.

Devoted to his parish at St. Margaret of Cortona Church in Riverdale, Bob served as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Cantor. For years, Bob was the Chairman of the parish's Adult Education Committee. He regularly brought enlightening and engaging speakers to the parish for stimulating discussions. Bob was an active member of the parish's Knights of Columbus Council - Pro Patria No. 751 - where he served as the Chancellor and Deputy Grand Knight. It was his ministry as a Cantor which will be remembered for many years to come. Last Autumn, he was honored by the parish at a Mass of Thanksgiving and reception for his years of generously and thoughtfully sharing his musical talents with all of us. Truly, a golden voice has been silenced!

In civic life, Bob played an integral role in the life of the Democratic Party in Yonkers for more than half a century. Rising from District Leader to Ward Leader, Bob ultimately served a short term as a Yonkers City Councilmember. He fondly remembered his years of service to the people of Yonkers. Bob was also the Chairman of several Mayoral Committees, including the Yonkers Human Rights Commission, the Mayor's Community Relations Committee, and the Mayor's Committee on Irish Affairs. In his neighborhood, he was President of the Yonkers Third Precinct Police Community Council. Bob's presence at City functions was a foregone conclusion for many years. It was through his activities with the Party that Bob became involved with a plethora of organizations in and around Yonkers, including, The Salvation Army, The Kiwanis Club of Yonkers, and Brahma Kumaris of New York.

However, causes dedicated to Bob's cherished Irish heritage held a special place of affection in his heart. At the height of The Troubles in the 1980s and 1990s, Bob travelled to the North of Ireland on several occasions as part of a U. S. Congressional delegation with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Representative Eliot Engel to assess the situation. As an educator, community activist, and human rights advocate, he was uniquely positioned to meaningfully contribute to the delegation's activities. He participated in numerous and productive meetings with both factions. Many years later, the fruits of these labors are still evident.

Bob was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in the Myles Scully Division of Yonkers and the American Irish Association of Westchester County. Of the former, he was Hibernian Man of the Year and Past Chairman of the Division's Brendan Murphy Memorial Communion Breakfast. Of the latter, he was President and Chairman of the Board of Directors on several occasions and Irish-American Man of the Year. Bob also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Tara Circle organization. He was a member of the County Leitrim Society of New York, as well. In 2019, the Yonkers Saint Patrick's Day Parade honored him as an Aide to the Grand Marshal, the festivities of which he joyfully recalled. His memorable presence as the long-standing co-host of Emerald Focus, an Irish-American community cablevision television show, will be sorely missed. As many can attest, Bob was a top-notch raconteur blessed with a wry wit.

Left to mourn his death are a few cousins, innumerable scores of friends, and his treasured companion and devoted friend of more than forty years, Catherine T. Marshall of Yonkers.

A wake for Bob will be held at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home on Sunday, September 21st from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. A Mass of Christian of Burial will be offered at St. Margaret of Cortona Church on Monday, September 22nd at 10:00am. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Yonkers.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Bob's memory to:

Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, PO BOX, 302, Maryknoll, New York 10545- 0302 www.donatemaryknoll.org

OR

St. Margaret of Cortona - St. Gabriel Parish 6000 Riverdale Avenue Bronx, NY 10471 https://www.wesharegiving.org/app/giving/WeShare-20000324?tab=home