ROBERT “BOB” CHASE STETSON

BRISTOL — Robert “Bob” Chase Stetson was born in 1933 in Haverhill, Mass. He grew up in several Massachusetts communities and graduated from Springfield Classical High School in 1951. He has one sister, Cynthia Stetson Wade.

Bob entered the University of Vermont in the fall of 1951, initially pursuing a pre-veterinary path. While in college he shifted his studies to Hotel and Restaurant Management, a field well suited to his people skills and work ethic. During many college summers he worked at the original Howard Johnsons in Massachusetts.

At the end of his junior year, Bob remained in Burlington and worked at Oakledge Manor. It was there that he met Marilyn Falby, a server who would become his wife. They were married on June 23, 1956, at the Congregational Church in Burlington, Vt.

Their early married life took them to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Chicago, and Ohio as they raised four children together. In 1970, the Stetson family settled in Bristol, Vt., which became Bob’s long-time home and community.

Professionally, Bob worked with Saga Foods at the University of Vermont and later pursued several entrepreneurial and service-oriented roles, including owning a motel and restaurant, working as an insurance agent, and serving as a commercial food service sales manager. In the late 1980s he found great enjoyment in substitute teaching in local schools, staying connected to young people and the community he loved.

Bob was deeply committed to civic life. He served as chairman of the Green Up Committee when then-Governor Deane Davis launched Vermont Green Up Day. He was an active Rotarian, and devoted 17 years of service on the Porter Hospital Board as well Addison County Home Health and Hospice. His dedication reflected a lifelong pride in giving back to his region.

A passionate sports fan and a voracious reader, Bob remained intellectually curious throughout his life and very sharp. Following the death of his beloved wife, Marilyn Falby Stetson in 2012, Bob later found companionship and joy with his partner Jane Campbell. Together they embraced life as “Super Seniors,” a title Bob wore with pride and humor.

Above all, Bob loved his family and his community. His life was marked by service, resilience and genuine connection and he will be remembered with gratitude and affection by all who knew and loved him.

The family wishes to extend our deep gratitude to the entire Porter Hospital Medical Team including the doctors, nurses and Palliative Care team.

A private family gathering will be held to honor his life.◊