January 2, 2016. Robert is survived by his wife of 66 years Alberta (Haight) VanGraafeiland; children Cindy (Rex) Rush, Paul (Debbie) VanGraafeiland; grandchildren, Holly D'Angelo, Dawn (Dan) Coistek, Michael Rush, Nathan VanGraafeiland, David VanGraafeiland, Joy (Reed) Phillips; 8 great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews dear friends. For more information about Robert please visit www.aliferemembered.com Robert's Visitation will be Monday, 2-4 7-9 PM. His Funeral Service will be celebrated Tuesday, 11 AM at Park Ridge Free Methodist Church, followed by his Entombment in Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to Park Ridge Free Methodist Church, 10 Straub Rd., Rochester, NY 14626 in Robert's memory. Robert Evord was born to Myrtle Herbert VanGraafeiland on a snowy day April 24, 1927. He was the third of four children, Elizabeth "Betty," Herbert "Bill," Robert "Bob," and Mary Jane. Bob's maternal grandfather was a well known with a shop in the Seneca Arcade, where the children often visited with their mother. His father came from a large, happy family living on Lacer St., then known as Dutch Town. When he was a small boy the family moved to 268 Pine Hill Rd. in Spencerport. This was the family homestead his father died in 1980. Bob attended a small country school in Adams Basin. He then attended Brockport High School where he made many friends. His "best buddy" was Dick Barney who grew up in the same neighborhood as Bob. Bob and Dick were inseparable. During their teenage years swam in the nearby creek and slid down snowy hills (a sand pit) in the winter, with little niece Patty trying to follow behind them. Bob worked hard on neighboring farms then in the Brockport AP Store. At age 15 WWII had begun. Bob Dick found themselves working at the Spencerport Ordinance making incindary bombs. With the money he made he was able to buy his first car, a 1934 Chevy Roadster with a Rumble Seat. It was during this time that Bob learned auto mechanics. In 1944 when Bob had started his senior year in High School he and Dick went to Buffalo to take tests to join the Air Force. Bob was rejected, due to he being color blind, he wasn't able to distinguish the difference between land and water. The Army wanted Bob. They offered to educate him at Rutgers University. He was soon enrolled in their engineering program if he could graduate by January. With the help of his principal, teachers and his parents approval he began his military career in January at the young age of 17. It was not uncommon for the students of Rutgers to see Albert Einstein walking the campus. Upon the wars ending the program was cancelled. Bob soon found himself and his fellow class members in hot and humid conditions In Georgia to begin their basic training. Being in Georgia was not in Bob's top ten of happy times in his life. His high school class was back in Brockport looking forward to graduating and he was in a fox hole on a rifle range ducking bullets and snakes. This definitely was not a happy time in his life. During Bob's days in occupational Germany Bob became happy once again. The highly disciplined, regimented life suited his temperament exactly. Here he quickly rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant at the very young age of 18. He was in command of many many years his senior. Bob was discharged from the Regular Army in 1946 and he returned home to Spencerport. Bob began working for Sears, Roebuck Co. on Ridge Rd as a manager of their shipping and receiving department. There he met who would become the love of his life, Alberta Haight who herself had come from a small town of Barker to live with Aunt Pearl Uncle George Zitsman who had a home on Mt. Read Blvd. During these times it was proper for the man to meet a young ladies family before they went out on a date. On Easter Sunday in 1949 Bob took Alberta to dinner and then the two made their way to Barker to meet Alberta's family. Their courtship was sweet and short as the two were married October 22, 1949 in the Adams Basin Methodist Church, a church Bob had attended growing up. Their wedding was small. Only immediately family joined them for the ceremony. That evening the two families celebrated their marriage at a restaurant in Brockport. Once their honeymoon was over Alberta Bob made a small cozy trailer home. They shared land with Bob's parents, bob being the handy man he was, bob remodeled the entire trailer. Their first child Cynthia Louise was born in a the Brockport Hospital on August 29. As one could imagine this small, cozy trailer became even smaller with the beginning of their family. So they moved to a apartment on Lyell Ave., then purchased their first home on Glenbrook Road where on February 22 a baby boy whom they named Paul Robert joined the family. About this time Bob accepted an apprentice program in Tool Die making at Commercial Controls. As a result of the excellent training he became one of the finest Tool Dye men and later Model makers in the city. From here he went to Kodak Park where he worked until retirement in 1980. Bob has always had a love of building, whether it was raising the roof, remodeling the house, making wooden toys and working with metal. Their family became a very average family of four in suburbia, going through all of the usual trials, tribulations and triumphs, such as church, school, scouting, emergency room trips and much time spent with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Mary and Herb lived in the same area of Greece and the families spent many happy hours together. It was during this time that their family grew once again. Pepper, an English Setter was added to the family. Harmony wasn't as readily found as before. English Setters are by nature hunting dogs. This by itself wasn't such a big deal except for the fact that Albert had a parakeet. Pepper would regularly point and bark at the parakeet. On one day in particular things worsened, Pepper took a dive at the cage sending it and the bird hurling forward with Pepper in tow. The bird was never quite the same after that. In 1973 Cynthia married Rex Rush and they became parents to Holly Ann, Dawn Elizabeth and Michael David. In 1985 Paul Married Debra Morse and they became parents to Nathan Paul, David Edward and Joy Elizabeth. Grand-parenting was a new and wonderful experience and many good times were had with the 6 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Vacationing was a big part of their lives. There were many trips to beaches, parks, church camps, cabins in the Finger Lakes, Hamlin, Alleghany Letchworth. In 1969 a travel trailer was purchased and camping became a way of life for them for over thirty years. Their travel wasn't limited to camping. Bob his family found themselves vacationing in Hawaii, Europe, Canadian Pacific, Nova Scotia as well as many parts within the US. Bob will best be remembered for being: strong willed, active, politically astute, perfectionist, creative, handy and intelligent. He played basketball during his HS years. Bob was a member of a bowling league. He read the paper from cover to cover every day. He was an Bills Fan. TV shows he enjoyed included: Crime shows, NCIS and Blue Bloods. Bob will be missed by many. To know him was a treasure!