Robert Willmont Meshanic

Robert (Cook) Willmont Meshanic of Columbia died Sunday morning, May 19th, 2013 at Regency Heights of Windham CT, after many years of being a prisoner of Dementia. Born January 5, 1931, he was a life-long fan of the New York Yankees, New Jersey Beaches and his Rutgers education. Survivors include his wife of almost 57 years, Phyllis S. Meshanic (a college blind date), his sons Peter and Carl, Peter's wife Sarah and their three sons, Jackson, Carter and Hunter, and Carl's wife Jackie and daughter Jessie, of Brooklyn CT. Bob's sister Ann Meshanic Root, her husband Robert (both dementia prisoner's), sister in law Rachel Smith Brandt, her husband Jerome, and their children and grandchildren also survive him, with the exception of a nephew Ronald Brandt, who predeceased him. Bob was a major league scouted high school baseball player whose life changed at age 15 when he lost the sight of his right eye in a pick-up basketball game. Getting through Rutgers while working full-time at the local post office was a challenge, but by age 25 he had acquired his B.A., a wife, and a job as a District Scout Executive in Camden County New Jersey. By age 27 he had joined the Dean of Men's staff at Drexel Institute in Philadelphia and started work on a Master's Degree in Counseling at Temple University. This he completed by age 30. Successive jobs in the New York system and a Doctorate from SUNY-Albany at age 39 expanded his counseling and administrative Student Personnel Expertise and in 1973 he became Dean of Student Affairs at Eastern Connecticut State University. He retired in 1989 from Eastern with Emeritus Status. Conferences and workshops he attended attest to his concerns for personnel development, staff and group leadership issues, campus alcohol and drug usage, campus-community relations, union-management bargaining. These impacted many areas of his community service both before and after retirement. Also important in his life were his family, his attic and basement pool rooms, his personal and club fishing accomplishments, friendships of prior counselees and staff, and at the top of the list,- his lifelong love of baseball shared thru his coaching with his sons and their teams, and board work with the Connecticut Polish Youth Baseball Foundation. His Lions Club Membership was also important to him as former victim of an eye accident. Should you wish, in-lieu of flowers; contributions can be made in honor of him to the CT Alzheimer's Association at the following address, Alzheimer's Association, CT Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill CT 06067. His family will receive relatives and friends on Wednesday May 22nd between 2:00 and 3:00pm with a service beginning at 3:00pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic. Interment will then follow in West St. Cemetery, Columbia. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .