Robert Spilka "Bob" DeSanto

9/21/1940 - 10/21/2024

Waterford - Robert "Bob" Spilka DeSanto passed away suddenly at the age of 84 Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, surrounded by his two daughters.

He was born Sept. 21, 1940, in New Rochelle, N.Y. as a first generation American of a Czech mother and an Italian father, Millie (Spilka) and Daniel DeSanto.

He graduated from New Rochelle High School in New York, and went on to Tufts University receiving an undergraduate degree in May of 1962. Bob met his wife Polly (Grzybek), while at Tufts University and they married June 6, 1964, and together raised two daughters.

In 1968, after earning a doctoral degree from Columbia University, he moved to the area. Having accepted a teaching position at Connecticut College, he established the Summer Marine Explorations Program at the college and became the first, if not the only, civilian to pass the U.S. Navy's dive course. Eventually, after leaving the college, he served for the next 36 years as the chief environmental scientist for various engineering design firms. In 1989, after his retirement, he became an independent consulting ecologist and even has a U.S. patent for a marine dock for aquatic life habitat.

While living in East Lyme, he served over 28 years as an appointed or elected official on the Commission of Water and Sewers, and the Conservation, Planning, and Zoning Commissions. He also served on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

A member of St. John's Episcopal Church, he was very active in the choir for over 40 years and served as the official church photographer for many of them.

During his tenure as president of the East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, he strove to lead this non-profit corporation of volunteers in its mission, "to preserve and enhance the quality of life and the economic health of the Town of East Lyme and the neighboring communities through the encouragement, coordination, and execution of projects designed to achieve these goals." Dr. DeSanto was instrumental in overseeing the development of the Niantic Bay Overlook which was dedicated July 15, 2005. He developed the Foundation Web Site, provided oversight of the initial 103 park benches which were placed along the 1.1-mile Overlook Park, and published monthly progress reports in The Post Road Review.

Later called the "Godfather of the Boardwalk," Bob told the group that his most critical accomplishment for the Foundation was to insure that the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak complied with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's request for in-kind or better replacement of any impacted Boardwalk components during the bridge replacement project. Through his vigilance, the Overlook Park survived the bridge reconstruction project and nine acres of new beach were created so that the Boardwalk was not degraded in any way as a result of the bridge reconstruction undertaken by Amtrak.

In 2002, Bob and his wife retired to Waterford. He spent summer vacations in Maine, combing the beaches of Wells with his grandchildren and metal detector looking for treasures. In 2008, Bob and Polly took the family on a cruise and land tour of Alaska where everyone got the opportunity to share once-in-a-lifetime experiences together. He enjoyed traveling to attend his grandchildren's sporting events and extra-curricular activities or hooking up computers to watch them online. All his grandchildren enjoyed going through his house finding artifacts from his world travels and listening to the stories behind each one.

He is predeceased by his parents; older brother Daniel; and his wife of 57 years, Polly, who passed away Feb. 10, 2021. He is survived by his dog Maya; his daughters, Amanda Zawacki and her husband Gary, of Waterford, and Pamela O'Neil and her husband James of Ludlow, Vt.; five grandchildren: Julia, Frank and Robert Zawacki, David O'Neil and Kaitlyn Benson (Trevor); as well as one great-granddaughter, Sadie Benson, born on her great-grandparent's wedding anniversary, with whom he loved to go out to lunch.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to: The East Lyme Public Trust Foundation, P.O. Box 174, Niantic, CT. 06357 or St John's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 810, 400 Main Street, Niantic, CT. 06357.

At the family's request services and Interment in the St. John's Memorial Garden will be private.

The Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic, is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.neilanfuneralhome.com.