Robert Harold Mareneck
Robert Harold Mareneck, age 100, passed away peacefully at his daughter, Susan’s, home in Leverett, MA, on July 1, 2024, with family at his side. Robert (Bob) was born in Lombard, IL, on April 23, 1924, the fifth child of Latvian immigrants, Bertha Bander and William Edward Mareneck (né Murnieks).
Bob went to Brown University in 1942 on a full scholarship. He entered Naval officer training and finished his degree in two years in 1944, in order to ship out during World War II. Before deploying in 1944, Bob married his high school sweetheart, Catharine “Katie” Rau, in Washington, DC. They had five children: Susan, Peter, Michael, Robert Jr., and Ellen.
Bob pursued various avenues in business, particularly the design, manufacture, and sales of home furnishings, inspired by his father-in-law, Roscoe R. (Esther) Rau, a founder of the National Retail Furniture Association. This took the family to various locations around the Midwest, ending up in Lake Forest, IL, in 1966.
Bob lost Katie in 1973, with his two youngest still at home. In 1977, he married Ruby Schneider. Together, they served 8 years as country directors for the International Executive Service Corp in Kingston, Jamaica, and moved to Lewisburg, WV, where Bob lived until 2019, when he moved to Applewood, Amherst, MA, after Ruby’s unexpected death in 2018.
Bob is survived by daughter, Susan, grandchild, Alpha (Jack) DeLap, and great-grandchildren, Declan and Nicolas; grandchild, Edward (Emily Martyn) Hourigan and great-grandchildren, Eliza and Rosie; son, Michael (Tynna Schroeder), grandchildren, Ghislaine and Maghnus Fokine-Mareneck; son, Rob, grandchild, Saoirse; daughter, Ellen Catharine, and daughter-in-law, Carolyn “Carli” Davis (Peter) Mareneck, grandchildren, Zarina and Ryven.
He is also survived by Ruby’s children, Mark (Trish) Schneider, grandchild, Lacy (Alan) Henry, and great-grandchildren, Charlotte and George; grandchild, Blake Schneider, and great-grandchildren, Kaden and Donna (Bruce) Elliott; grandchild, Emily (Chris) Trenn, and great-grandchildren, Magnus and Vanessa; and grandchild, Matthew (Alexis) Spence.
He was preceded in death by his wives, Catharine Rau and Ruby Schneider; his son, Peter (Carli); his brothers, Arnold (Mary) and William (Marion) Mareneck; and his sisters, Alfreda (Herb) Allemang and Evelyn (Armand) Carnes.
The family wants to thank all the people at Applewood and Charlene Manor who made his life full of tender care.
We will miss you, dear Dad. There will never be another quite like you!
In lieu of flowers, Robert’s family asks that donations be made to the Veterans Scholarship at Brown University. Online donations can be made in his name at this link: https://go.brown.edu/VeteransScholarship or by sending a check with his name and “Veterans Scholarship at Brown University” in the memo line and payable to Brown University to: Brown University, Gift Cashier, Box 1877, Providence, RI 02912.
Information submitted by Smith-Kelleher Funeral Home of Shelburne Falls, MA.
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