Mr. Robert Hesselbach's Obituary
Robert ("Bob") Nelson Hesselbach passed away during the early morning of December 10, 2024, surrounded by his wife, Cha-Che Moore and his twin brother Bruce Hesselbach in Tallahassee, Florida.
Bob was born on December 18, 1947, in New York City to Margaret Husson and Charles Hesselbach. Bob was a joyful man who constantly strived to support and care for his many loved ones. A graduate of Cornell, Bob was a man of many talents - before moving to Alaska in 1981 to open Hess Builders with his brother (which they ran together for 40 years), Bob owned two pizzerias, drove a semi truck, and (as he proudly boasted) bought and sold two businesses before turning thirty. Bob made a life in many place – New York, Connecticut, Florida, Alaska, and many places in between. And throughout all of these adventures, Bob warmly and openly befriended everyone he met along the way. His warmth extended beyond just human connections, with a deep love for all creatures and life. Once, while traveling in Spain with Cha-Che and her children, Bob noticed the abundance of stray cats in the town they were visiting. Bob put slices of ham in his pocket to feed the kitties – when Cha-Che asked about it, Bob just smiled warmly and gave those cats more ham.
Bob lived his life building for others-- houses, with the strength of his body and mind for business, and loving relationships with his warmth, compassion, and generosity. Whether in Alaska (where he lived most of his life), Tallahassee (where he spent a majority of the last ten years with Cha-Che), or Cayman Brac (his truly favorite place), Bob was always surrounded by those for whom he cared deeply. And despite his constant and gleeful attempts to get a rise out of friends and family, his jollity and self-evident good nature made it inevitable that those surrounding him cared just as deeply for him in return.
Bob is survived (and will be sorely missed) by Cha-Che and her two children, his siblings Bruce, Karen and Ellen (and their families), his daughters Crystal and Jennifer, and his broad network of friends and loved ones.
Cha-Che and her family would like to extend many thanks to all of the friends and family who helped support her and Bob on his journey over the last three years – Especially everyone at Big Bend Hospice and all the members of Bob’s medical care team at Tallahassee Pulmonary Clinic, TMH Cancer Center, and Shands, including his nurse Crystal who provided integral care during the last two months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hope Oncology and Dialysis Center at Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac (https://www.hsa.ky/locations/faith-hospital) or the Jasmine Hospice Service in Cayman (https://jasmine.ky/join-support/ways-to-give/).
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