Robert Louis Michal

Robert (“Bob”) Louis Michal passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on February 17, 2025, at the age of 87. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend, whose life was filled with love, passion, and countless memorable moments.  

Bob is survived by his beloved wife and soulmate of 65 years, Louise Elizabeth, who was his constant companion and partner in life’s adventures. He is also survived by his two children, Karen (David) Kosakoff and Robert (Angela) Michal. Bob's legacy lives on in his four grandchildren, Taylor Michal Kosakoff, James Robert (Julia) Michal, Alexandra Nicole Kosakoff, and Sarah Nicole Michal, all of whom brought him immense joy. 

Born in Queens, Bob fondly remembered his childhood days spent at Greenwood Lake and the “boathouse” in the Rockaways with his family—memories that stayed with him throughout his life. From a young age, he demonstrated exceptional intelligence, skipping two grades in elementary and middle school. He was a student of extraordinary ability and went on to attend Lehigh University at just 16 years old. He earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degrees in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh.

Bob's professional career was marked by great achievement and dedication. He had a long and successful tenure at Sperry Rand Corp., and a number of successor companies, where his contributions were highly valued. He was among the group that designed and supported the navigation system for the United States Navy’s Trident Nuclear Submarine Program. 

Beyond his career, Bob took great pride in his lake home at Candlewood Lake, a place where he created countless memories with his family each summer for over fifty years. Many of those moments were spent on the front porch and back patio, where he could relax, reflect, and enjoy the company of friends and family. Other fond memories included social events, like dinner dances, and time spent at North Beach, where they kept the family’s motor and sail boats, relaxing on the beach, entering sailing races and water skiing each weekend. He served as Boat Captain for North Beach for decades, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of Candlewood Knolls.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bob had a wide range of passions. One was traveling the world with Louise, and many times friends, experiencing new cultures and adventures. A highlight of his travel adventures was taking his four grandchildren to Europe one summer with Louise, which included a stop at Louise’s mother’s hometown in Germany.

He also had a green thumb, cultivating both vegetables and flowers in his gardens on Long Island and Connecticut. He enjoyed cheering on the New York Rangers and Yankees, and was a longtime enthusiast of playing softball, for his company’s team and also fondly recalling the days of father-son and father-daughter games on weekends in Candlewood Knolls. His talent for mixing drinks was also legendary—often the life of the party, he delighted family and friends with his mixology skills. In his later years, Bob loved doing word search puzzles to maintain his mental acuity.

In his later years Bob overcame numerous bouts with melanoma and also faced a continuing battle with aphasia (a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate effectively sometimes linked to Alzheimer's disease).

Bob was a kind, loving, and generous soul, whose presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His family and friends will forever treasure the memories they made with him, from his laughter and stories to the way he made everyone feel special.