Wednesday, May 4, 2022
My name is Bill Paul and I am an old East Side friend of Bobby. My grandparents, the Rea family lived across from the Lisi family on Booth St and I lived behind St Mary church. We shopped at Jom's store. My uncle Benny Rea was a good friend of Bobby. I was a few years younger and tagged along. I loved and admired Bobby, he was smart,witty and along with Benny was very protective of me. They were like older brothers. Among manv stories, one gives me a chuckle. Bobby would always brag that he was the smartest, and he was. But many years later when I became president of Sikorsky, Benny would tease Bobby that I was the smartest, which was met with a shrug. At Benny's funeral, while euologizing Benny with comments and of course a song, he turned to me and said "Ok you are as smart as me but it took you long enough".
Well Bobby, in my book you were always the smartest and the one who best exemplified the soul of the East Side Pembroke St. soul as we knew and loved it.
