Obituary of Robert Allain
Bob, to his family, Louie to his friends, Coach to his sports teams, passed suddenly in Naples, Florida, his winter home, on February 9, 2022 at the age of 72.
He lived in Mendham all his life in the house his father built (with a short few years in the Township), a graduate of Hilltop and West Morris Central H.S. where he was a multi sports athlete, Park University in Missouri and then was employed by the Borough of Mendham in the Water Department transitioning to NJ American Water when it was sold.
That was his job. His avocation was coaching – CYO Basketball at St. Joe’s in the early 70’s, one of the original coaches in the Mendham Soccer Club and Managed Babe Ruth Baseball teams in Mendham for over 30 years winning State Championships and many Regional tournament games.
There wasn’t a sport he didn’t enjoy, watching soccer, football, basketball, baseball, track and softball games at Mendham High School and was a 20+ year season ticket holder for Rutgers Men’s Basketball.
He knew almost everyone in Mendham and told stories of what it was like growing up and walking both ways uphill on Mountain Avenue in the winter snows to get to Hilltop School. As a young kid he knew Mendham historian Ella Mockridge well, raking her leaves each fall, inspiring his long time interest in history.
An avid bowler he got close to a 300 several times in the men’s leagues at the Pastime Club where he, like his father Lou, were lifetime members. One of his favorite tasks was working the food booth on Labor Day morning with his friend Pete Rowe greeting old friends and meeting new ones.
He traveled to almost all 50 US states and marveled at his trips to China, Hong Kong and Japan where, to his amazement, he was considered a giant of a man. He made several trips to France where he reconnected with Allain cousins and visited the house his father had grown up in. On one trip to his delight he experienced multi Michelin starred restaurants and fine wineries plus a bumpy ride in a tiny Citroen deux chevaux over French farmlands. A Disney fan – he looked forward to at least 3 weeks at Walt Disney World with friends each fall and visiting all the Disney Parks, collecting Disney memorabilia and meeting Disney animators.
Each fall, he sold his collection of repaired old stained glass windows on his front lawn.
He made friends in an instant and his warm and generous heart was big enough to encompass not only all his beloved wife and partner Leslie of 53 years, her extended family and nephews and nieces, his cousins Susie Bock and Jeffrey Sefjack and their families, his wonderful Allain cousins in France, all his Mendham Soccer and Babe Ruth baseball "kids", his Disney friends and all his West Morris Central HS friends and classmates, Mendham neighbors and co-workers.
Cremation and internment at Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham were private.
