Robert P. Svitek

Robert P. Svitek, was the last of John and Mary (Stastny) Svitek’s 13 children to leave this world as he took his final breath the morning of May 31, 2025, at the age of 92 in the arms of his daughter, Megan and in the company of his former wife and lifelong companion, Barbara, at Lifecare Center of Nashoba Valley in Littleton, Massachusetts where he resided for the past 3 years.

He was born on October 14, 1932 at home in Brackenridge, PA along with his twin, the late Richard Svitek, who was Killed in Action at age 18 during the Korean War. After graduating from Har-Brack High School in 1950, he attempted to enlist in the US Army but due to ear problems, did not qualify at that time. He was later drafted to the Army in 1958 just prior to his 27th birthday and successfully completed Advanced Individual Military Police training in 1959. He continued to serve in the Army Reserves until he was Honorably Discharged in 1962. Beginning in 1950, he started working at the Liberty Mirror Works of Brackenridge, a Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, coating and polishing parabolic mirrors but eventually retired as a night watchman. He also served as a volunteer firefighter and was a member of Pioneer Hose Company. He then worked as a school bus driver and later as a greeter at both Heinz Stadium and PNC Park; a perfect job for the avid Pittsburgh Sports fan he was. A Pittsburgher at heart, but also a man who valued family to his core, in 2009 he moved to Massachusetts despite his dislike for Tom Brady and pretty much all New England sports teams, to be closer to his daughter and granddaughter. He kept his daily routine of walking 1-2 miles a day to the local library and added swimming, shopping at Market Basket (one thing he did like about Massachusetts), picking up his granddaughter from school and cooking sit-down family dinners each night.

Later, he moved to Lifecare Center of Nashoba Valley where he was often heard yelling at the TV, particularly CNN during the most recent election. Bob almost always had his iPhone in hand and was often texting or talking with family. Despite occasionally giving the nurses and staff at Lifecare Center a hard time, they treated him with loving care, respect and dignity up until the end.

Bob, also known as Grampsie, Dad, Bob, “Uncle Bobby” to his 38 nieces and nephews was Godfather to many. He had many sides including a “funny side” where his goofiness made us all laugh. He was proud of his Slovak heritage including our famous hockey relatives, the Stastny Brothers who we visited in the 1980’s when the Quebec Nordiques played the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Civic Arena. Growing up during The Great Depression, he lived frugally yet was simultaneously a very generous man. He was brought up with Catholic faith, but that didn’t stop him from exploring many other spiritual pathways, including Christian Science as well as the philosophical studies of Douglas Harding’s The Headless Way. He was always interested in politics and if his name sounds familiar, perhaps you read one of his hundreds of Letters to the Editor that were often published in the Allegheny Valley Newspaper or Pittsburgh Post Gazette. A deeply intelligent man, always with a book in his hand, he had an uncanny ability to identify practically anyone’s ethnic background with nearly 100% accuracy based solely on hearing their last name, only needing confirmation of the correct spelling. On more than a few occasions, he was caught cranking up the volume on the radio when Missing You by Diana Ross came on. At any moment you could cue him to belt out “Tell me why the road turns?!” as well as other favorite songs like Blueberry Hill, Moon River and Nature Boy. There is a big family reunion happening in Heaven right now that surely includes Polka dancing and Aunt Phinnie’s brownies.

Bob is survived by his partner in life, Barbara (Whalen) Svitek and her sister, his longtime friend known to many as Aunt Pat, Patricia Whalen, his daughter Dr. Megan Svitek (Ford) and her significant other Todd Sauter of Littleton, MA, his granddaughter and best friend, Ava Lucille Ford, his step-grandson Max McGraw, many nieces and nephews and his faithful kitty-pal, Teddy.

In addition to his parents and his twin, Richie, he was preceded in death by his son, Timothy Robert, brothers Joseph, Louis, Rudolph, Anthony, John, Frank and Edward as well as sisters Mary Krumenacker, Anna Brim, Mildred Derbaum, and Josephine Salat.

Visitation will be on Friday June 6 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Duster Funeral and Cremation Services, Inc. 347 East 10th Avenue, Tarentum 15084, 724-224-1526, where a Blessing Service will be conducted on Saturday June 7 at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow at Prospect Cemetery, Brackenridge. Visit:dusterfh.com