About 30 years ago, a friend and I were having difficulty moving a piece of furniture, when Bob Cahn passing by, saw us, and stopped to lend a hand, which allowed us to complete the move. That incident began a long-standing friendship that lasted until Bob died late last month.
I soon came to realize that doing good deeds was second nature to Bob. He liked helping out, being called upon to lend a hand and pitching in to do his part, all of which was second nature to him.
Bob was a native of New York, as was his first wife, Angela, and a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., with a degree in mechanical engineering. After spending the first part of his career in industry, he entered government service as a State Department official at posts in Korea and Thailand. After his retirement, he and Angela bought property in the Northern Neck and began constructing a Post-Modern home overlooking Mill Creek.
The house combined classical and contemporary motifs with the brickwork being laid in Flemish bond and the waterside offering spectacular views from a two-story atrium. More than the view of the creek, perhaps the most spectacular aspect of the room was a large potted palm tree that reached the full two stories. The structure was set in a bluff of woods that offered visitors a surprise upon reaching it through the trees.
The house was built for family entertaining, which was manifested in the large parties the Cahns hosted there. Personally, even more than the palm tree, the most memorable feature of the home, was a venerable, antique bathroom sink that had belonged to Angela’s father, a barber of Italian descent, which was the conversation piece that every guest had to see.
Angela died in 2004, and Bob ultimately decided to sell the property and build a new home in Fleets Bay. Always an engineer, he designed another Post-Modern house with a dominating front gable that overlooked the road several hundred yards distant. He thrived on the opportunity to design and build once again.
Constructing the home and moving there led him to meet a neighbor across the road, Maureen McDermott, whose husband, Denny, had died in 2010. Their friendship blossomed and they committed matrimony in 2013. They combined their households into Bob’s new home, living there until deciding to move to Richmond to be nearer to family.
When I asked Bob how he could give up the houses that he had designed and built with attention to every detail, he replied that he always was looking forward to the next chapter of what life had in store for him. He and Maureen blended their families, enjoying the adventure of establishing a new life together.
In retirement, Bob was not a stranger to new adventures. He took up photography, demonstrating great skill in taking pictures that were prize worthy in quality. He became quite knowledgeable about the subject and liked to explain how and why he had taken a particular photograph.
Also in retirement, Bob embarked on another new pursuit, namely motorcycling. He lived to be 92, but his interests remained focused on “younger” hobbies. He and Angela had traveled all across the country and motorcycling afforded him a new way to see more of our local region. Shortly after he had bought a new motorcycle, he pulled into our driveway for me to come out to see it.
He also was quite the food critic, enjoying experimenting with new recipes and sharing his culinary discoveries with his friends. In all that he did, Bob was an essentially happy person, delighted to do his part to be a player in a larger scene, abounding with interests and focused on what he could do to help. That was how I first met him and that was how he always remained.
Robert Arnold Cahn, August 19, 1932 – December 26, 2024. R.I.P.
