Robert Francis Askey

Robert Francis Askey died on Monday, February 17, 2025, aged 71, following a brief illness, surrounded by his immediate family. Bob—or Bine to his old friends, or Bobby to his family and oldest friends—will be fondly remembered with love and laughter. He was an avid fisher and hiker, all the better if a pathway was nonexistent. To Bob, rules were suggestions at best, usually scorned outright; they applied to anyone but him. Ohiopyle addict, but also enjoyed the rivers closest to home in his birch-bark canoe. Grower of sunflowers (you probably saw them towering over the mailbox) and tomatoes, which he lined up on the porch railing in the summer. A firm believer in the redemptive power of chance, he could often be found with a nickel in one hand, a scratch-off lottery ticket in the other. A keeper of talismans; he wore a gold cross around his neck, wore the same hat, drank from the same mug, day after day. Coffee was a beverage to be consumed regardless of the hour of the day. Hoagies were best when purchased from a gas station. Ditto sunglasses. Passionate Pittsburgh sports fan, Steelers most of all. He made sure to wear one of his thousands of Steelers shirts when traveling out of state so that people knew where he stood. Devoted son. Caring brother. Loving husband to the woman he’d been with since junior high, with whom he recently celebrated forty-five years of marriage. Supportive father. Affectionate uncle. Rakish smile. Big laugher. Excited grandfather. Appreciator of the mystery of existence; was known to read plenty of books about the paranormal. Lover of all dogs, but most especially Rex and Fritz and Buster. He lived in the country but was held by the community that surrounded him; he’d frequently be seen on his front porch, waving at his friends coming in and out of Newel. His seat at the kitchen table was next to the microwave, which he was known to use even in the middle of a meal. A practical joker, fireworks lighter, pot-stirrer, goofball. Said, “I love you,” to his family every time he hung up the phone. He understood that if something was yours, you stood by it. Could be heard saying, “There ain’t nothing wrong with that,” in reference to, say, a toaster with only one working heating element, or a pair of shoes whose soles had been glued and glued again. For many years he worked a job that required him to drive all over much of southwestern Pennsylvania, which means he always knew the best shortcuts, and could not go anywhere without someone saying, “Hey, Bob!” He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Dorothea Askey, and his brother, Don Askey. He is survived by his wife, Sherry; his son and daughter-in-law, Ryan and Jen Askey; his son and daughter-in-law, Derek and Madelaine Askey; his grandson, Robert Montgomery Askey, named after him; his sister and brother-in-law, Dianne and Michael Stonfer; his nephew and his wife, Michael and Gina Stonfer; his niece and her husband, Denice and Brian Zelmore; his niece, Susan Ballard; and his sister-in-law and her husband, Teri ang George Earley. A viewing will be held at Blair-Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory in Perryopolis on Sunday, February 23, from 2PM–4PM and 6PM–8PM. A funeral will be held at same on Monday, February 24, at 10 AM. If you meet someone who knew Bob, they’ll have a story for you. Ask them to tell it. When they finish it, ask for another. They’ll have one of those, too.

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