Robert, or “Bob”, “Dad”, “Pop-Pop”, “N2AEM”, “WB2F” or whatever the call name you knew him as, was born in Trenton, NJ to Helen and George Cherry and along with his younger sister, Carol, who he loved and tortured in equal measure growing up. He was raised on North Main Street in Pennington in the family home, where his own mother was born.
He began his very long and illustrious career, as he loved to share, at the ripe old age of 12 at the Pennington Quality Market stocking shelves. And while he was very proud of this and used this data point often to highlight how they just don’t make kids like they used to, for most of his career he was employed by New Jersey National Bank, then Core
States, eventually retiring from Wells Fargo as Vice President. At which point, he began his second twenty-year career working for the State of New Jersey retiring in January of 2024 at the age of 83, because in his words, “your mother spends too much for me to retire”. To be fair, this could have consisted of even the smallest amount to trigger his frugality. He was a 1958 graduate of The Pennington School – sent there by his mother after causing just a little too much ruckus during his teenage years. He attended both University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Rider University, which is a polite daughter’s way of saying he was too smart for college. He is survived by his Wife, Judith Bair Cherry of 58 years, children, Heath Cherry and Paige Cherry DiRoberto, son-in- law, VJ DiRoberto, grand children Georgia DiRoberto and Noah DiRoberto, Sister, Carol Cherry Smith and Nephew, Jordan Smith.
Dad was the smartest guy I ever met. He could fix literally everything and anything. He might not ever get around to it, but he could do it if he tried, and if it didn’t cost too much. He could talk about virtually any topic if you got him talking. He loved history, especially local history from a bygone era. My favorites were his own personal stories. His bright blue eyes would light up while his own private movie from another time played behind them as he spoke.
He had his pilot’s license and loved nothing more than futzing around, I mean, doing very important things, with his late BFF Terry, in the hanger on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday or Tuesday for that matter. He could always be found after work either on the mower, mowing the grass to within an inch of its life (which I am sure he is doing somewhere right now) or sitting in front of his ham radios talking to someone he’d never actually met but had become friends with over the radio waves, dad’s early version of Instagram. He was way ahead of his time. He loved his antique car and his motorcycle and logged many miles, parades and car shows over his lifetime. He knew the make, model, year, and engine of every car he and every one of his high school friends ever owned. He loved all of his dogs spanning the years from little Rainbow to Tara, John, Luna, Flora, Fauna, Stockton and even Merry, who was “such a love” but still a “PIA” puppy according to him.
He lived a simple life; dogs, tractors, old cars, firehouse breakfast with my brother on Sunday mornings and the never-ending search for the $4 hamburger of a time long- past. He loved his whole family. Dad was a man of few words but when he used them without any curse words, you knew you’d done good. If he told you he was proud, well, there was nothing like it. He was proud of all of us, he told me so just before he left.
In lieu of flowers (but if you’d rather his favorite color was yellow) and in honor of Dad’s time serving in the National Guard we are asking for donations to be sent to Tunnels to Towers.
The funeral was held June 11, 2024 at Blackwell Funeral Home, 21 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ 08534.
