Robert Craig English
September 16, 1943 ~ December 11, 2022
Robert Craig English passed away peacefully on December 11th at the age of 79 at his home in Arlington, VA.
Robert, or Bob as he was known, was born on September 16, 1943 to Carl and Helen English, and grew up in Chevy Chase, MD with his older brother Tom. Bob received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and worked as an accountant at Marriott Corporation for more than 20 years in Bethesda, MD.
Bob met the love of his life, Carmen, in January of 1969. His love for her was so true that he asked her to marry him after only a few months of dating and they were married that July. From that moment on, Bob prioritized his love and dedication to Carmen and his family. He was a loving and devoted husband for over 53 years and his two children, Craig and Monica, would argue that he was the greatest Dad in the world.
Bob loved taking the kids camping, was heavily involved in Craig's Boy Scout Troop, and attended every single one of their games. He was his daughter's number one cheerleader in field hockey and softball and as a proud Dad, made her a memory book of pictures and local newspaper clippings of her games. He tucked his kids in bed each night and even humored Monica's nightly request to tell her a bedtime story about when he was young. He was their hero then and now even in his passing.
Bob was a gentle soul with a kind demeanor and warm smile. He found beauty in the simple things in life, enjoying music, nature, and bird watching from his balcony overlooking the lake at their West Palm Beach retirement home. What many people didn't know is that Bob inherited his mother's love for the arts. Bob spent many hours learning how to paint and create beautiful stained-glass panels.
But at his core, Bob was a man who loved the Lord. He became a born-again Christian in the 80's and was a faithful disciple of Christ for the remainder of his life. His faith was a source of great strength, allowing him to face his progressive dementia diagnosis with humility and grace. He never once asked 'why me?' or felt self-pity. Instead, he retained that glimmer of light, kindness, and positivity until the Lord took him home.
Bob is survived by his wife Carmen, brother Tom, his two children, Craig English and Monica Maher, and his four grandchildren, Charlie, Harry, Keeley and Jack.
Robert, or Bob as he was known, was born on September 16, 1943 to Carl and Helen English, and grew up in Chevy Chase, MD with his older brother Tom. Bob received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and worked as an accountant at Marriott Corporation for more than 20 years in Bethesda, MD.
Bob met the love of his life, Carmen, in January of 1969. His love for her was so true that he asked her to marry him after only a few months of dating and they were married that July. From that moment on, Bob prioritized his love and dedication to Carmen and his family. He was a loving and devoted husband for over 53 years and his two children, Craig and Monica, would argue that he was the greatest Dad in the world.
Bob loved taking the kids camping, was heavily involved in Craig's Boy Scout Troop, and attended every single one of their games. He was his daughter's number one cheerleader in field hockey and softball and as a proud Dad, made her a memory book of pictures and local newspaper clippings of her games. He tucked his kids in bed each night and even humored Monica's nightly request to tell her a bedtime story about when he was young. He was their hero then and now even in his passing.
Bob was a gentle soul with a kind demeanor and warm smile. He found beauty in the simple things in life, enjoying music, nature, and bird watching from his balcony overlooking the lake at their West Palm Beach retirement home. What many people didn't know is that Bob inherited his mother's love for the arts. Bob spent many hours learning how to paint and create beautiful stained-glass panels.
But at his core, Bob was a man who loved the Lord. He became a born-again Christian in the 80's and was a faithful disciple of Christ for the remainder of his life. His faith was a source of great strength, allowing him to face his progressive dementia diagnosis with humility and grace. He never once asked 'why me?' or felt self-pity. Instead, he retained that glimmer of light, kindness, and positivity until the Lord took him home.
Bob is survived by his wife Carmen, brother Tom, his two children, Craig English and Monica Maher, and his four grandchildren, Charlie, Harry, Keeley and Jack.
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FOND MEMORIES OF MY BROTHER BOB
Bob and I grew up together in a residential area of Chevy Chase, Maryland, located about 1 mile from the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.). It was a great place for boys to live with lots of dense woods, including a ravine and a creek. It also bordered our house on the other side of the white picket fence in our backyard.)
Virtually all of our childhood and most of our teenage years were spent in Chevy Chase. I was the older brother (5 years separated us). But because of the age difference we had different sets of friends and interests.
In 1976 (at age 38) I moved to California whereas Bob remained on the East Coast in Bethesda, Maryland. While in California I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior and became born again. Likewise for Bob, shortly thereafter. * This greatly strengthened our relationship: we became double brothers (biologically and in the Lord). We also had other things in common: (especially) a love of the Bible and Bible study, and regular physical exercise (being “physically fit”). Moreover, we were both analytical and detail oriented, and independently had many of the same habit patterns and ways of doing things.
After Dad died, Bob took care of Mom and even quit his job to have time to deal with all the paperwork of her social security and Medicare. This was a major, sacrificial life event for Bob, and I had a great admiration for him because of it. Over the years following 1977, my wife Peg and I made a number of trips to the East Coast. We always looked forward to staying with Bob & Carmen while there. These were wonderful times: we loved Bob & Carmen so much and it was great to see Monica and Craig, and even their children, as they were growing up.
Later on Bob and Carmen bought a condo in Wellington, FL (next to West Palm Beach). They subsequently sold their house in Bethesda and moved to their condo. We visited them several times in Florida. We were so happy for Bob: he loved the condo back porch and watching the abundant wildlife on the lake less than 50 feet away. He felt like he had died and was in heaven (a bit of hyperbole in this statement but the point is well made!)
Bob was a very kind and gentle man. He was totally honest and reliable and I knew I could always trust him completely. He always had a smile and an infectious little laugh that I will never forget. Fortunately we will see him again when there will be a future family reunion in heaven.
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*Bob had a very unusual, unique conversion. The woods in Chevy Chase were adjacent to Rock Creek Park which was also wooded and so large that it extended into Washington D.C. for many miles. In the Park there was a long train trestle very high above the ground. Bob was walking way out on the trestle one day when he heard a freight train approaching. He had no other choice but to climb over the edge and hold on while the train went thundering by right above his head. He was terrified and cried out to God to save him!! He said to God, “If you get me out of this situation alive I will serve you for the rest of my life!” Afterward Bob forgot about his promise but God was not about to let him go: after Bob heard that I had accepted Jesus Christ, he remembered what he had said while hanging on to the trestle, and he turned his life over to God to use him as He saw fit. What happened is now literally history as Bob faithfully and humbly served the God he loved for the rest of his life.
Thank you for sharing these memories, kind words, and his testimony.
You are such an amazing person, truly kind and loving grandfather to your grandchildren and family and everyone. You are blessed and your memories are a blessing.
Thank you Juju.
Here is a photo of my Dad and Uncle Tom taken in 1998.