Obituary for Robert V. Siscoe
Robert Van Cor Siscoe of Medfield died on October 9, 2021. He was 80.
Bob was a quiet man, and when he spoke people would lean in to listen.
The son of Dr. Dwight Siscoe and Elizabeth Van Cor Siscoe, and brother of Margaret Siscoe, he grew up in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, attended Dexter School, Noble and Greenough School, and Colorado College.
He married Mary Christine Hilliard and the couple settled down in Medfield where they raised two daughters, Karen and Nancy.
Bob worked as a salesman and manager at Volkswagen Brookline, Rietzl Porsche + Audi, Annis Volkswagen and Wellesley Volkswagen, and then began his own business, MetroWest Runners. He was known for his honesty, integrity, and keen attention to detail.
He loved cars and was delighted to be able to drive so many outstanding models through his work. When first married, he drove a Triumph TR3. After children came along, the family car was a Volkswagen bus, but a Porsche 914 lurked in the garage. He followed sportscar racing, especially Formula 1, and the family attended races at Watkins Glen International, Lime Rock Park, Virginia International Raceway, and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Family vacations were always spent in the Maine woods. A remote log cabin, a canoe, a day spent fishing on a lake—these things brought him peace and joy. He started going to Maine with his parents and it made him so happy that his love for the wilderness was shared by his children and grandchildren.
Bob loved animals and they loved him—his calm, quiet presence no doubt drew them in. (Except one notable rabbit, who bit Bob and later died.) So many cats were catered to and overfed by him: Muffet, Jellybean, Tiger, Niki, Jody, Hobbes, Foster, Button, and Zoom-Zoom.
Bob’s drinks of choice were a Tanqueray Martini—very dry, straight up, with a twist—or Chivas Regal on the rocks. When we could no longer find Fosters beer, he made do with Stella Artois. His favorite restaurant was Basil—owned by his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Tom McGue. Everyone at Basil felt like extended family and he loved seeing the inner workings of the kitchen and business. He was very partial to the veal parmesan and the steak au poivre. His love of pepper was so well-known that one Christmas he received three pepper mills—all in use still. He had a way with eggs—over easy, omelets, and deviled eggs hot enough to clear your sinuses. And he had a sneaky habit of eating ice cream in the middle of the night.
Most of all, he loved to be home. Puttering in the garage, refilling the bird feeders, fixing things (which he himself might have broken), watching a ballgame, sitting and reading the paper while Chris did the crossword.
Unfailingly kind, generous, and full of love for his family, he will be forever missed by his wife of 60 years, Mary Christine Siscoe, his daughter Nancy Siscoe of Brooklyn, his daughter Karen McGue and her husband Thomas McGue of Foxboro, and his grandchildren David and Christine.
A celebration of his life will be planned with details to come at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mass Audubon at massaudubon.org.
Bob was a quiet man, and when he spoke people would lean in to listen.
The son of Dr. Dwight Siscoe and Elizabeth Van Cor Siscoe, and brother of Margaret Siscoe, he grew up in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, attended Dexter School, Noble and Greenough School, and Colorado College.
He married Mary Christine Hilliard and the couple settled down in Medfield where they raised two daughters, Karen and Nancy.
Bob worked as a salesman and manager at Volkswagen Brookline, Rietzl Porsche + Audi, Annis Volkswagen and Wellesley Volkswagen, and then began his own business, MetroWest Runners. He was known for his honesty, integrity, and keen attention to detail.
He loved cars and was delighted to be able to drive so many outstanding models through his work. When first married, he drove a Triumph TR3. After children came along, the family car was a Volkswagen bus, but a Porsche 914 lurked in the garage. He followed sportscar racing, especially Formula 1, and the family attended races at Watkins Glen International, Lime Rock Park, Virginia International Raceway, and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Family vacations were always spent in the Maine woods. A remote log cabin, a canoe, a day spent fishing on a lake—these things brought him peace and joy. He started going to Maine with his parents and it made him so happy that his love for the wilderness was shared by his children and grandchildren.
Bob loved animals and they loved him—his calm, quiet presence no doubt drew them in. (Except one notable rabbit, who bit Bob and later died.) So many cats were catered to and overfed by him: Muffet, Jellybean, Tiger, Niki, Jody, Hobbes, Foster, Button, and Zoom-Zoom.
Bob’s drinks of choice were a Tanqueray Martini—very dry, straight up, with a twist—or Chivas Regal on the rocks. When we could no longer find Fosters beer, he made do with Stella Artois. His favorite restaurant was Basil—owned by his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Tom McGue. Everyone at Basil felt like extended family and he loved seeing the inner workings of the kitchen and business. He was very partial to the veal parmesan and the steak au poivre. His love of pepper was so well-known that one Christmas he received three pepper mills—all in use still. He had a way with eggs—over easy, omelets, and deviled eggs hot enough to clear your sinuses. And he had a sneaky habit of eating ice cream in the middle of the night.
Most of all, he loved to be home. Puttering in the garage, refilling the bird feeders, fixing things (which he himself might have broken), watching a ballgame, sitting and reading the paper while Chris did the crossword.
Unfailingly kind, generous, and full of love for his family, he will be forever missed by his wife of 60 years, Mary Christine Siscoe, his daughter Nancy Siscoe of Brooklyn, his daughter Karen McGue and her husband Thomas McGue of Foxboro, and his grandchildren David and Christine.
A celebration of his life will be planned with details to come at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mass Audubon at massaudubon.org.