Robert Gerard Impellitteri

11/25/1960 - 11/20/2021

East Lyme - Robert Gerard Impellitteri, 60, of East Lyme passed away peacefully Nov. 20, 2021, after a courageous battle with a rare illness, HLH. He was born Nov. 25, 1960, in New London to his late parents Gerard Joseph and Barbara Helen (Baier) Impellitteri. He was predeceased by his brother Edward Impellitteri. He is survived by his sister Lorie Cahill of Clearwater, Fla.; his ex-wife Corinne Impellitteri; his daughters, Rebecca Ellen McBrearty of Uncasville and Emily Corinne Manuzzi of Preston; his son Rob Edward Impellitteri of Charleston, R.I.; his granddaughter Natalie Marie McBrearty; and many extended family members. He will be missed by many. He burned brightly in this life, much like one of his favorite stars, Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion.

Those who knew Rob know it is impossible to sum up his life in a paragraph, but here are some highlights: Rob graduated from Elizabeth Seton College in Yonkers, N.Y. and Mitchell College and attended the University of Florida. He started his employment as a mortgage banker and moved on to insurance companies (AIG, Reliant and Progressive) initially as an auto claims adjuster and then as a manager. He also worked with attorneys to represent clients in the courtroom. Robert learned to drum at the age of 7 from his father and was an amazing drummer for the East Lyme High School Marching Band. He and his wife and friends formed the Gale Force Band and enjoyed playing classic rock for a few years prior to having children. He was an avid collector of N scale model trains and mastered the art of miniature landscapes, later channeling his love of trains working for the Essex steam train as a conductor punching out tickets just as Tom Hanks did in Polar Express. He was a master "tinkerer" as we called him, he could fix anything and often made it work better than the original. He was also infatuated with Denmark and learned the Danish language. He anchored the red and white flags wherever he could. Later in life, Robert focused on what was most important to him - his family and friends. He found a love of painting from cosmic inspiration and spent most of his time building and creating works of art as gifts, because as he once said, "It makes me happy to give to those I love."

His family will receive relatives and friends from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26, at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave, New London. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Smilow Cancer Hospital Center in Waterford.