Robert “Bob” T. Dobson

Rochester, New York, passed away at the age of 91 on Wednesday, July 15^th, 2026 after a sudden illness.

Predeceased by his father the Honorable Frank X., mother Martha M. (Lawson), brother Frank J., and sister Mary R. Survived by his wife Ann (Kozerski) Dobson; children Linda (William) Gillette, Patrick (Michelle) Dobson, Lisa Bartlett; grandchildren Jennifer (Andrew) Fowler, Jonathan Gillette, Jordan Bartlett, and Caleb Dobson; great-granddaughter Haley; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. 

Born on February 24^th, 1935, Robert grew up on a 75-acre family farm in the Town of Greece, New York, and spent his early years cultivating fruits and vegetables to sell at local farm markets while getting chased by his beloved rooster. He was a member of the 1953 graduating class of Aquinas Institute and attended the Rochester Institute of Technology where he studied photography technology. Robert later joined the United States Army Reserves, where he served as an E5 Sergeant in the 411th Signal Company based out of Fort Monmouth in Long Branch, New Jersey. He served proudly for 7 years (1957-63), during which he was one of the first people to fly on the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, managed to interrupt NASA’s communications with the ECHO-1 satellite, and was called into active duty for the Berlin Crisis. Upon his honorable discharge from the military, Robert worked at Xerox for 34 years as a tester, troubleshooter, and repairman (TTR), eventually writing a simplified instructional manual on printer repair. 

Robert was a loving husband of 66 years to Ann (Kozerski) Dobson, with whom he raised three beautiful children in the house he built with his brother, Frank. Alongside his wife, he also raised two wonderful nephews, Timothy and Thomas Jamieson, after the untimely passing of their parents. He was also a proud grandfather to four grandchildren, and recently earned the title of great-grandfather with the birth of his great-granddaughter. His love extended to several family friends who still lovingly referred to him as “Dad” or “Pa” to this day. 

Alongside his brother, he was an avid birder who maintained membership with the Rochester Birding Association, Genesee Valley Audubon Society, and NYS Ornithological Association. He led several field trips in the Rochester area, participated in the yearly Christmas bird counts and backyard bird counts for many years, and produced a hand-drawn field guide, A Guide to Birding the West Lakeshore. He even assisted with the scientific banding of several bird species in the Rochester area. Robert shared his passion for birds with family, friends, and strangers through meticulously maintained backyard bird feeders, the lens of his spotting scope, and by bringing raptor education programs into a local elementary school for a number of years. Along with his passion for birds, he was also an avid gardener whose yard was featured in several years of garden tours where people took in beautiful floral displays. His vegetable garden provided the best tasting vegetables that the family could enjoy each summer. Rounding out his love of the outdoors, Robert was a fisherman, hunter, and passionate conservationist. 

Robert was also an accomplished photographer who developed his own photographs in the dark room he built in his basement. He had mastered the art of trick photography long before the days of Photoshop and AI. He combined this passion with his love of astronomy, having several photos displayed in Sky and Telescope magazine and at Dominion Observatory in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which he took using a home-built telescope. Robert could be found behind the lens at countless family events, capturing the little moments as well as the big, ensuring that the family had memories to look back on for a lifetime. One of the last events he was able to photograph was the fulfillment of a life long dream – seeing the Union Pacific 4014 “Big Boy” steam locomotive alongside his family. 

Robert will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. The family would like to thank the staff at Unity Hospital, McCormick Transitional Care Center, and the Barnard Fire District for their compassionate participation in Robert’s care. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable donations be made to the Barnard Fire District, Braddock Bay Raptor Research/Bird Observatory, or the Genesee Land Trust.

Details regarding interment and a celebration of life will be released at a later date.