Obituary of Robert G. Powell

Born to Mildred (Ritchie) Powell and Llyod Glenn Powell on April 12, 1932, our dad spent his youth growing up in the DeKalb/Hermon NY area. He was tucked in the middle of their three children, Portia (Powell) Bush, and Richard Powell. He spent a lot of his childhood on the farm his grandparents Verde and Homer Powell owned. Robert (Bob) Graham Powell died in Vermont at the home of his daughter, Kathy, on November 7, 2021, at the age of 89. A good life lived and a superhero to his 3 children and grandchildren. Dad was kind, quiet, and unassuming but he had a quick wit and a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. He would often catch you off-guard with his quips and we adored that about him. He was loved beyond measure by all of us. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family. Following graduation from Hermon Dekalb High School he enlisted in the Army from 1949 to 1952. He went from Fort Dix, NJ to Japan and was stationed at the Tokyo Ordnance Depot during the Korean Conflict. While serving his country as a Corporal, he earned the Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Army of Occupation Medal Japan, and Good Conduct Medal. He was a very patriotic man and passed this attribute on to us. He returned to the Dekalb area following his discharge from the Army and eventually ended up in Moravia, NY working for Agway. It was there that he met our mother, Joan Elizabeth Ryan, and the rest is history. They fell in love and married on September 28, 1957. They had shared 58 years of marriage when mom passed away in 2015. Dad and mom made a home in Dekalb and in 1968 they moved to Winthrop when he started working for Walsh Trucking and he stayed with them until his retirement in 1992. Dad was able to revisit his passion for motorcycles after he retired, and he and mom spent time on day trips and traipsing across the country on his Goldwing. Bobby, Steph, and I were blessed with a wonderful home, family life, and unconditional love from both our parents. While our family is still reeling from the loss of Stephanie two weeks prior to losing dad, we are reminded that we are born into this world with a limited amount of minutes and hours to use as we barrel through our lives never really knowing when the clock will run out. Use those hours and minutes to build lasting memories for those you will leave behind. Always try your best to do the right thing, and even if not perfect, you will know that you did the very best you could in the moment. Be honest, kind, and loving. Live selflessly and care for others. Don’t be too busy to reach out and spend time with your parents, grandparents, and family as time is fleeting and you cannot get back those opportunities once they are gone. Build memories and not regrets. Tell them you love them every opportunity you get. Hug….hug often. Robert is survived by his son, Robert G. Powell Jr., his daughter, Kathleen LeBlanc, his son-in-law Wayne Patraw, his sister Portia(Powell) Bush, and his sister-in-law Joyce Powell. He is survived by 7 grandchildren, Brian Patraw and his partner Angel Ashley, Rylan Patraw and his partner Jenna Jacot, Quinn Patraw, Donovan Patraw and his fiance Cheyenne Myers, Corissa Burnell and her husband Greg, Kelsey LeBlanc and her partner Ethan Higgens, and Jillian LeBlanc and her partner Nick D’Edigo. In addition, he is survived by his great-grandchildren, Carter, Lamont, Raymond, and Phoenix and Angel’s daughters, KK and Jazmyn. We would also like to give special mention to his nieces and nephews and our extended family of Struzzi’s and Gentilcore’s. Robert is predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Joan E. Ryan, his loving daughter, Stephanie A. Patraw, his brother Richard Powell, and his parents Mildred and Llyod Powell. Honoring dad’s wishes, a Graveside service with Military Honors will be held at the Winthrop Cemetery on November 20th at 12:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving a donation to the Winthrop American Legion, Hospice of Rutland County Vermont, or the Tri-Town Rescue Squad in his memory.