Robert Blaney

Robert Lee Blaney ended his battle with cancer peacefully on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 with his family by his side.

Bob was born on April 4, 1958 to Margaret Deloris(nee Bisone) and the late William Lawrence Blaney. Bob wanted to leave his world a more beautiful place than he found it – and he did through his many acts of kindness, his artistry, and his presence.

Bob was a natural-born carpenter. Actually, Bob was an artist who could transform a plain piece of wood into a masterpiece. Bob could make a house into a home. His signature curved wall corners bring grace and beauty to the humblest of rooms. Bob’s ability to eyeball the absolute center of a wall to install a window in his parent’s home is a Blaney family legend. St. Joseph has been blessed with a fabulous assistant.

Bob was a romantic who wore his heart on his sleeve. He fell in love at first sight with his great love, Toma, and knew he wanted her in his life – they met at the end of July and were married three months later. Bob used laughter to keep Toma from being homesick for Russia, patiently watched Project Runway with her(and became a fan), and held his tongue while she learned to drive through the suburbs. Bob was Toma’s biggest fan and cheerleader.

Bob was a storyteller. When Bob was deep into a story about something that interested him – like space, and what exists outside the Milky Way – his beautiful sky-blue eyes got a special twinkle in them. The stars in the sky are brighter with Bob among them.

Bob was a great mimicker, which made his stories all the more entertaining. And if you spent a day with Bob, you came away with your own stories to tell. Bob’s college visit with his best friend Jim to deliver an Easter basket to his sister Mary left her and her roommate giggling for days, and still brings a smile to Mary.

Bob was an animal lover. Frogs(who can forget Sugar Lump-Lump?), schools of fish, Chuckles the chinchilla, rabbits rescued from the field across the street, and, of course, dogs. When he was six years old, he “married” his first dog/love, Sugar, in a ceremony attended by his brother and two sisters. His faithful companion Fluffy, who, like her master, smiles at everyone, is mourning Bob’s absence along with the rest of his family.

Bob was kind. You could ask him for help any time of the day or night and he was always there with a smile on his face. Even after being diagnosed with a horrible brain disease, Bob wanted to offer his life to help find a cure, and more importantly, save others from suffering his same fate. In midst of numerous rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, Bob never complained, never felt sorry for himself, and never lost his sense of humor. Naturally, Bob was an organ donor. And, because of his love for humanity, someone else will have those beautiful baby blues to see life.

Bob is survived(and beloved) by his great love and wife, Tamara Blaney(nee Shur), his mother Margaret(nee Bisone), his step-son Ilya Startsev, his older brother William Lawrence(Susan), his sister and side-kick, Margaret(Kurt) Larocco, and his little sister, Mary(Pete) Baechle. Bob had a deep love for his nephews, Peter and Will Blaney, and Nicholas Larocco, and his favorite niece, Kathryn Larocco. Bob was also loved by his aunts and uncles and numerous cousins. Bob was preceded in death by his father, William Lawrence and his maternal and paternal grandparents.

We will miss Bob’s slightly crooked smile, his loving blue eyes(that got him out of many a scrape), his easy-going nature, and mostly, his peaceful presence.

In lieu of flowers, please support Bob’s wish to find a cure for glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer by contributing to The Preston Robert Tisch Tumor Center at Duke University, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710.

Visitation to celebrate Bob's life will be held Monday, July 11 from 3:00pm to 8:00pm at Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory 950 South Bartlett Rd.(at Stearns Rd.), Bartlett. Please come share your stories about our brother/son/husband/cousin/friend.

Funeral Tuesday 9:45am to St. Peter Damian Catholic Church, Bartlett, IL. Mass 10:30am. Following services cremation private at Countryside Crematory. Please join us for a luncheon at Villa Olivia immediately following services, and share more stories about Bob with all the people who love him.