On July 6, 2017, Robert Navarre Reifsnyder died of natural causes at his residence in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. Robert was born February 22, 1929 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Grace Navarre Watson and Thomas Bancroft Reifsnyder. His parents served as Presbyterian missionaries; as children, Bob and his siblings resided in Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia. During the family’s time of service in Caracas, Bob met Patricia Ann Pugh at the American grammar school and they corresponded for several years thereafter.
Bob’s high school years were spent with relatives in New Jersey. In 1947, he graduated from Tenafly High School, and that fall, he began studies at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Bob was pleased to discover that Pat Pugh attended nearby Wilson College, and the grammar school friends became a couple. In June 1951, Bob graduated from Lafayette with a BS in biology; later that month, he and Pat were married.
Soon after his wedding, Bob joined the U.S. Navy as a medical corpsman. In 1953 he transferred to the U.S. Marines, where he received a medal for sharpshooting. Following his discharge from the military, Bob received a Master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Pennsylvania in 1959, embarking on a long and successful career as a physical therapist in the Philadelphia area, most notably at Temple University Hospital and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Bob and Pat raised their family in Mount Airy and were members of Germantown Monthly Meeting, where Bob served on the finance, funeral and marriage committees. Bob’s demeanor was invariably kind, calm, and supportive, combined with profound inner determination and a joyful competitive spirit. He loved to play croquet, ping pong, tennis, and golf; in summers, he avidly sailed his Sailfish in Lake Annis, Nova Scotia, and kept his eye on the night skies with a telescope. Pat, a history teacher, planned extensive trips that took them to locales as diverse as Wales, Greece, and Tunisia. Back home, Bob kept tabs on his beloved New York Rangers, the Phillies, and the Eagles. He was a talented sculptor and artist in many different media. In 2004, Bob and Pat relocated to Foulkeways at Gwynedd, where Bob kept active with water volleyball, artwork, and his Quaker faith. Pat preceded him in death by nine months.
Bob is survived by three children: David Bancroft, Abigail Williams, and Peter Cliff, and seven grandchildren: David Alexander Reifsnyder, Rebekeh Packer, Daniel Packer, Zoë Reifsnyder, Willis Reifsnyder, Lydia Reifsnyder, and Desmond Reifsnyder. Also surviving him are siblings Ruth Kahoun and David Navarre Reifsnyder, and several nieces and nephews. Bob’s gentle companionship and subtle wit will never be forgotten by his family and the many friends who were privileged to know him.
A Memorial Meeting for Worship will be held for Bob on Sat. Sept. 9th at 2 pm at Germantown Monthly Meeting, 47 W. Coulter St. Phila. Pa. 19144. Donations in his memory may be given to Oceana (oceana.org or Donation Services, 1350 Connecticut Ave., NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036), Fox Chase Cancer Center (www.foxchase.org/giving/ways-give/donate-now) or to Germantown Monthly Meeting (47 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144).