by Lorraine Sciulli
Robert Doocey, Bob to all who knew him, was our friend and colleague and from the moment he set eyes on the JPCA he knew this was where he belonged and, most importantly, where he could solve the many problems that had developed on his neighborhood streets. In fact his wife, Linda, mentioned to me at the Memorial Mass, that Bob and their family regarded the Juniper Park Civic Association as “family.”
We immediately welcomed Bob into the world of civics and he served on the JPCA Executive Board for many years. He was also the Assistant Editor of the Juniper Berry where he found an outlet for the many issues he had encountered that involved police problems. You could describe him as a neighborhood activist in the true sense of the word. There wasn’t a topic you could mention where Bob Doocey didn’t have an opinion and many of his opinions ended up as articles in the Juniper Berry.
We will miss Bob’s pragmatic presence in our world because he was always ready to help anyone who came to him with a problem. He spoke often of his beloved wife Linda and his children, Timothy, Terrance, Theresa and Thomas and while he loved his neighborhood you knew that the love of his life was his family.
Bob Doocey was born in Jamaica Estates in 1940. In 1953 the family moved to Allentown Pennsylvania where he graduated from Central Catholic High School and attended Georgetown University. He joined the Army in 196l, receiving an honorable discharge.
Bob’s career was in the field of computer programming, where he spent forty years. He worked in the Government Services Administration and NASA in the Washington, D.C. area and in New York City at Bankers Trust Company and Citibank.
He taught computer programming at the American University, Strayer College and Pace University. He retired in September of 2001 and it was at that point that he “discovered” the Juniper Park Civic Association. And, the rest is history, as they say. He was the leader of the Juniper Juniors and was passionate about the work that the kids did in our neighborhood, bragging often about their accomplishments.
“Bob Doocey had remarkable courage and insight,” said Robert Holden, president of the JPCA. “He was the kind of man that you could count on in a battle and he distinctly understood that elected officials worked for and are answerable to the people they serve. Bob Doocey was a neighborhood treasure, I am honored to have known and worked with him and our neighborhood is forever grateful for his absolute dedication,” said Holden.
Not surprisingly, Bob Doocey, always giving back to the community, donated his remains to the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons for the advancement of medical science.
Bob made his mark on our world and while he left us far too soon, we will always remember his kind, giving, and generous personality and let’s not forget, his mischievous sense of humor. One thing is certain, he always had the best interests of the other guy at the top of his priority list.
How can we talk about Bob Doocey and not mention his love of animals; his two adorable little dogs and the cats that completed the picture at the Doocey household? He was always sharing some of their more comical moments with his friends. Yes, we will all miss you, Bob, but your generous spirit will live on in our hearts. Rest in peace, dear friend.