Robert “Bob” L. Gaeckle of Summit, New Jersey, died February 22, 2020. He was 83.
Born in 1937 in Kearny, New Jersey, to Mildred and Louis Gaeckle, he met Claire, who would become his wife in 1960, at Upsala College. After marrying, Mr. Gaeckle and his wife moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, and started a family. He completed his master’s in business administration at New York University in 1966. He had a fulfilling 38-year career as an investment banker on Wall Street, working at firms including Shearson Hammill & Co., Salomon Smith Barney and its predecessors, and Citigroup.
Mr. Gaeckle enjoyed spending time skiing with his family in the Catskills, Vermont and Colorado, sailing the waters off Long Island, and vacationing at the family’s home in Southampton. Waterskiing and hunting were early pastimes. Later years included quality time spent with several Labrador retrievers and watching his grandchildren grow.
He was a generous individual who loved and provided for his family and who was passionate about numbers and the stock market, survivors said. He was an active and dedicated member of the Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, and the Sag Harbor Yacht Club. He also served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, receiving an honorable discharge in 1966.
Mr. Gaeckle is survived by his wife, Claire A. Gaeckle; and children, Scott and his children, Emma and Louis of Southampton, Glenn Gaeckle and wife Iwona and their daughter Natalie of Berkeley New Jersey, Jeffrey and wife Merey Grearson of Olympia, Washington, and Lynn Gaeckle-Avallone and husband Joe Avallone and their children, Joey and Ellie of Southampton.
A visitation will be held from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, at Bradley, Brough, and Dangler Funeral Home in Summit, New Jersey.
A memorial service with reception to follow is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, at Central Presbyterian Church, 70 Maple Street, Summit, NJ 07901.
Following the reception, interment will take place at Hollywood Memorial Park and Cemetery, 1500 Stuyvesant Ave, Union, NJ 07083. All are welcome to attend and celebrate his life.
Memorial donations may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, mskcc.org; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org; or the American Cancer Society, cancer.org.
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