A Celebration of Robert B. Horan

The world has lost a kind and gentle soul. Robert ("Bob") Barrett Horan of Allentown, New Jersey, passed away on Friday, 4 December 2015, at The Atrium Center for Rehabilitation in Lawrenceville NJ. Born in Jersey City on 9 August 1922 to Mary (Sturgeon) and John Horan, he was the eighth of 11 children. His family attended St. Paul of the Cross Roman Catholic Church, where Robert served as an altar boy. At age 6, he was hit by a Public Service bus and spent the next year in a hospital. He wasn't expected to survive but instead grew into a strong, active man who lived 93 years.


Bob – also called "Red" for his bright red hair - was especially proud of his Irish heritage and enjoyed going to St. Patrick's Day parades or singing "Danny Boy" and "Galway Bay." He also loved to share stories of his childhood, growing up during the depression and working a variety of jobs to help his family. He spoke of adventures with his brothers and his best friend, Johnny Brown, hiking around the meadowlands and to Palisades Park. There were ferry rides to NY City to watch the construction of the Empire State Building, and performances by Spike Jones & the City Slickers, the Ink Spots, and various "Big Bands" at the Paramount Theatre. He played football and baseball in Pershing Field and went to see his favorites, Bing Crosby and Bette Davis, at the movies.

In 1940-41, Bob served in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), building roads in Utah and planting trees in upstate New York. Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the US Army and served in the European Theater of Operations as a mine detector with Company A, 40th Engineer Regiment C, which later became Company A, 2829th Engineers Combat Battallion. He participated in "Operation Husky," the July 1943 allied invasion of Sicily, and "Operation Dragoon," the August 1944 invasion and liberation of southern France. He spoke often about the people he met along the way - the Italian who was so happy to see the Yanks he cooked them dinner; the British soldiers who insisted on finishing their tea even as the Germans bombed Nice; the family that sheltered him in Aix les Bains. He saw the horrors of Dachau and the splendor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. While in France in November 1944, he received a letter from home that his father had died. For the rest of his life, he kept his father's spirit alive by reciting many of the poems his dad had written.





A few months after returning home, Bob proposed to his sweetheart, Ruth Monstery. Their wedding was on 21 April 1946 at the Second Reformed Church of Hudson City, which her family had attended for generations. Their marriage lasted 63 years, until Ruth's death in 2010. Ruth and Bob are survived by their four children: Lynda Sigtermans of Allentown NJ, C. Richard Horan of Bridgewater NJ, Jan Somers of Basking Ridge NJ, and Katie Pollinger of Newtown PA; seven grandchildren, Richard Sigtermans of Arizona, Jim Sigtermans of Germany, Lisa Horan of Colorado, Jaime and Denise Szewczuk of New Jersey, and David and Erich Pollinger of Pennsylvania; nine great-grandchildren, and many well-loved nieces, nephews and inlaws.


After Bob's marriage, his father in law helped land him a job at the Davey Papermill Company, where Bob worked until retiring in 1987. For many years, he also helped with deliveries for Maxan's Furniture Store. Ruth and Bob lived in Hudson County until moving to Allentown in 2009. Bob brought his friendly personality and love of adventure with him and, until recently, could be seen walking into town, listening to music on his Walkman. He'd share breakfast with Jerry and the guys at the "Grumpy Old Men" table at Woody's, stop for pizza and a visit at La Piazza, and chat with friends at the barber shop or walking their dogs in the park. And after many years at Second Reformed Church, where his service included consistory and the men's club, he greatly enjoyed his membership at the Allentown Presbyterian Church.


Bob was best known for being a devoted, life-long fan of the New York Giants. He still wondered why they sent Lombardi to Green Bay and Tarkenton back to Minnesota. He'd gladly discuss whether Eli is better than Simms or Coughlin is better than Parcells. He'd share fond memories of meeting Bob Tucker outside Yankee Stadium, bus rides to games at the Yale Bowl, listening to the play by play on the radio when home games were blacked out, and being there when Strahan broke the sack record. He delighted in every Super Bowl victory, especially going to celebrate XLII and XLVI at the stadium rallies and getting Ahmad Bradshaw's autograph on his hat. In 2012, his 90th birthday surprise was a tour of the new stadium, where he finally got to see the Giants' Lombardi Trophies and Hall of Fame.

Bob Horan will be sorely missed by many. He could always be counted on for a kind word, a helping hand or a funny story. For 93 years and four months, he was true to his favorite expression, "There are no strangers, there are just friends we haven't met yet."


Family and friends are invited to Allentown New Jersey to celebrate a life well lived:

Tue. December 8, 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm, Peppler Funeral Home, 114 S. Main Street

4:30 Dinner at La Piazza Restaurant, 11 Church Street

Wed. December 9, 11 am, service at Allentown Presbyterian Church, 20 High Street

Lunch in Shulte Hall (next to church) hosted by the deacons


In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to The ALS Association, Gift Processing Center, PO Box 6051, Albert Lea MN 56007 (www.alsa.org).