Whether you knew him as Rob, Robby, Bobby, Bob-0, Sponge (as a few of us are in on that lil joke), or Telefonica Rob, he was someone's family, someone's love and someone's friend... and by someone I mean all of you. We are here today to celebrate Rob's life, and to ask God to take Rob into his open and loving arms where he will forever be in peace and happiness.

I met Rob when I was 12 years old. My neighborhood crew heard about this kid in the next neighborhood over who seemed like a cool guy, and so we went up there to meet him and get him in our circle of teenage trouble. Robby was always easy going, and loved being outside. The memories of fairport are vast, and some I don't think I need to speak on, but we always had good times from riding our bmx bikes to Rob's dirt bikes, to using Jim's John Deere tractor to tow all our stuff down to the canal to have a campout, it was always about having a good time and making the most out of each day, especially in the summer. If we weren't outside, we definitely took advantage of the big screen tv, surround sound and satilite that Kim and Jim had.

When the Schwind family moved to Honeoye after 9th grade, I was crushed as I was losing a close friend. Having said that, between my parents, his sister Rachel, Kim & Jim and a couple friends he made instantly down there, I was always able to get a ride down there or back home to Fairport just about whenever I wanted so it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought. As I reflect on this, I've come to realize that the action of the Schwinds moving actually was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Because of them and the friends that Robby made down there, I was able to find my other best friend, as well as some of the greatest people I have ever met. The honeoye team of friends made me feel right at home whenever i'd come down, right from the start...

I was as close to a brother to Rob as anyone could get, and we were inseperable. Inseperable to the point that I actually moved in to the Schwind household for well over a year! For the honeoye crowd, who can forget Rob using the same John Deere tractor to now tow the jet ski down to the lake? Or the green GTi that would buzz around town, or Rob's car being the music maker whenever we went up to the hole? I can't think of one person in that town that didn't like Rob, and that's the best part about him. Rob would do anything for anyone, at any time, for any reason. Before he even graduated high school, Rob's dream was to get out of the small town life and head for the city. He went to college out at FLCC and rented a house with 4 of his other friends to live in, and for those of you that know, i'm talking about the 5 n 20 house. I mean, I could go on and on about that place, but i'm thinking what happened at 5 n 20 should stay at 5 n 20 (lol). While there though he finished up school and got his act together and moved up to the city with our fairport friend Rachel. Robby lived with Rachel in a 2 bedroom apartment on Meigs St for over 3 years. During that time he became an accomplished electrician thru night school and meeting the right people and getting his hands wet in some serious jobs around the city. Rob helped to build the restaurant & club Pearl, Tonic when it was still under that name, and the restaurant JoJo's out in Pittsford. Most recently, Rob completed an entire house for his friend Charlie.

I can't speak much on the city life as I was not a major part of it, but from what I do know, Rob was always ready to grab some beers and just sit outside and enjoy life with friends, whether it's beer pong, can jam, or walkin down to east end on a friday night, playin softball and gettin $1 drinks at acme on Tuesdays after the game. If he wasn't at home in the city, he was definitely at my place in fairport loungin it up poolside sipping on cocktails. We would talk about what's been goin on that day, or we'd get into the always classic "hey remember when..." conversations. Rob and I also shared a love for the show South Park and it was always my goal to make him laugh by imitating Eric Cartman, as well as a few of the other characters. Rob would also go with me to car shows, because that's what I like doing, and as a friend, he took interest in things that I liked to do, and i'm sure you can all agree that he did the same for all of you. On the day of his passing Rob's first business plan went into effect. He opened his business, Robert & Father Electric. This would have been the start of a fabulous career for him, and he also had plans of heading south and getting a job with a city of his choice that he wanted to live in.

Rob's life ended tragically short, and so we must live off the memories that we do have, whether you met Rob 3 weeks ago out on a ride, or 14 years ago as I did when we were children. Someone mentioned to me that their 12 year old daughter was crushed to hear of Rob's passing. The reason she gave was that she took some of Rob's strawberries and now he won't be able to forgive her. When I heard this, ideas started swelling into my head about what it must be like for a child to go thru something like this as, while we are adults and still suffer, the innocence and unknowingness of life for a child is totally different. In our day to day lives we may not think about this much, but if a child can seek forgiveness and we can offer it to her, we should be able to offer forgiveness to all, as that is the way the lord works, and i'm sure all of you know that Robby would never hold a grudge on anyone.

I never thought I would have to go thru this, losing a childhood friend, as there is no doubt in my mind that Rob and I would be around each other til we were in the old folks home in our wheel chairs on oxygen staring at all the cute nurses taking care of us. I am upset that I won't get to have anymore Saturday conversations with the "remember when's" and the "oh man so I went out last night and's". Its going to be tough on all of us, but thankfully Rob was a well loved individual by so many people that none of us will have to bear this tragedy alone. Instead we need to stay on the bright side of things and remember Rob for who he was: A great son to his parents (as well as my mother), a great brother and uncle to his sister Rachel, and a great friend to me and to you.

Below are some memories from his sister:

Christmas morning - running for stockings as easily as I (Rachael) woke up. If he beat me, he'd wake me up, peaking at the presents, which were off limits until the 'rents were up, then trying to
re-tape them (only the bottoms).

Running the paper route for years, then Sunday morning donuts every week.

Trying to teach me how to ride the dirt bike along the canal, and dumping the bike on me with my first jump.

Riding our bikes to the village anytime we could - getting caught stealing and me taking the blame - Canal Days every year.

When he was grounded in the summer, going swimming at the high school and betting back to dry our stuff in the dryer before the parents got home.

The Spaghetti fork stabbing after the penny was thrown.

Getting drunk Christmas on Peppermint Schnapps and playing the Jaguar, 'til we passed out.

Saturday morning cartoons.

Fishing and playing in the waterfall at Grandma's camp ground.

Swimming at Letchworth Park in the Stone pool.

Breaking my teeth at the high school pool doing the back flip.

Lacrosse practice - NO I'm not a boy

Snowboarding and buying him the board when his Killer Leap broke, so we could ride together.

Him visiting (me at) college for the weekend and finding him in my friends' dorm.

Running after the Cocker Spaniels when they escaped.

Long motorcycle trips, arguing the whole way, Dad hitting us on the top of our helmets to shut up.

Having 2 identical tents - because we couldn't share one.

Finding Couiche (ko - each) in the one man tent, eating chili cold from the can because of a comic book he read when he lived in Japan.

Jumping off Banshee (our grandfather's boat) and making the biggest splash we could - jumping as far as we could on the bed - and me getting two black eyes (just in time for Aunt Andie's wedding).

Youth retreat to Smuggler's notch.

Watching him and his friends scumming from the bridge.

Trick or Treating 'til the pillow cases were full.

Ice skating on the frozen canal.

Riding to the baseball field for candy.

Trying to clean his room so we could go out - shoving everything into the closet.

Playing in the dart tournaments and practicing for hours downstairs.

Falling down the stairs, landing on the cement floor too many times to count - the lump on his forehead.


Gus Spencer