Robert Woodrow Wise

Robert (Bob) W. Wise (73) passed away at home on Friday, March 20, 2026 after walking his dogs one last time.

He was born March 12, 1953, the son of the late Dr. Robert A. Wise and Elinora Ayrault Wise.

Bob graduated from Prattsburgh High School in 1971. He went on to study psychology at SUNY Geneseo and received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Bob began his professional career as an electronics engineer in Warner Robins, GA and gradually made his way back to the Northeast to work as a software engineer at GE Aerospace in Syracuse.

In 1992 he started his career at Cornell University as a network engineer and 35 years later he was still working for Cornell Information Technology in the Department of Building Automation and Control Systems Integration. He would talk about retiring on and off but never did retire. Instead, he enjoyed the camaraderie of his co-workers and the day-to-day tasks of his job on and off campus.

It was on the Cornell campus where he met his wife, Claudia Haferkamp-Wise, a visiting veterinarian from Germany. They married in May 1999 and eventually welcomed 2 sons, Finn and Hajo.

Bob loved being a Dad to his boys - teaching them how to ride a bicycle, how to dive head first into the Ellis Hollow Pool, and how to skate with him at the Cornell rink. Both boys played youth lacrosse and soccer in Dryden. Even though Bob never played lacrosse himself, he happily volunteered to be a very enthusiastic youth lacrosse coach. Bob rarely missed a game once the boys started playing lacrosse and soccer on the Dryden school teams. He proudly watched his sons play, cheered for them enthusiastically and enjoyed socializing on the sidelines. Summers were spent traveling to tournaments with the Coldbrook lacrosse team, first with Finn and then with Hajo.

When he wasn’t at a game, Bob, an avid animal and nature lover, could be found hiking with his rescue dogs and cat Tigger in and around Ithaca, and on the farm in Prattsburgh. Seeing him and his 4 dogs in the car always made people smile. For years, he volunteered for the Tompkins County SPCA’s off-site adoption program, making sure another dog or cat would find a forever home. Along the way he cherished the many friendships he made with neighbors, fellow hikers, and volunteers.

Bob is survived by his faithful wife of 26 years, Claudia, his beloved sons Finn (Kate) and Hajo (Erin), his sister Janet Bender, and his nieces Colleen and McKenna.

He is predeceased by his parents, his brother Jeff, his sister-in-law Kelly, and his niece Nicole.

Rest in peace, Bob. May your memory bring smiles to all who miss you. We are grateful for the joy you brought into our lives.

A private funeral service and burial will be held at Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, NY with a Celebration of Life to follow in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, we ask those who wish to honor Bob’s memory to consider a charitable donation to the Tompkins County SPCA, or to any other animal rescue of your choice.