Robert Trate

Robert J. Trate, 100, originally of Philadelphia, PA, died January 21, 2023, two months shy of his 101st birthday, passing peacefully in his sleep in his Ft. Lauderdale home. He is preceded in death by his wife Martha and his sister Ruth. He is survived by his two daughters Marcie Fry (Jim) and Amy Bell (Scott), his two grandsons Curtiss Fry (Jackie) and Andrew Fry, great grandson Tucker (Curtiss/Jackie) and three nieces, Linda, Doris, and Carol. Robert, part of the Greatest Generation, served in the US Navy during World War II (1940-1945). He served on the destroyers USS Goff and USS Hutchins which operated in the North Atlantic, Panama Canal, Philippines, and Iwo Jima. Always fond of the tropics and warm weather, Robert moved his family to Ft. Lauderdale in 1969. An entrepreneur at heart, he started his own business, The Pentagon Oil Company, part of the industrial lubricants industry where he established himself as a subject matter expert. The name Pentagon represented friendships he established with four other men he served with on the destroyers. They were a faithful five long after the war ended. Robert and Martha's ashes will be interred at Arlington Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate in Robert's name to your favorite charity, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, or your local animal shelter. Robert is loved and will be missed by his family.