Obituary of Robert L. Doane

Robert L. Doane, 95, of Essex, CT passed peacefully on November 1st at Peregrine's Landing, Clinton. He was born Aug 8, 1918, a 5th generation resident of Essex, to Charles and Edith (Palau) Doane. He attended Pratt High School, Connecticut College of Pharmacy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London. Lt. Doane served in the Coast Guard in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Pacific throughout WWII. He was a loving and devoted husband to Darline (Barnett) Doane for 61 years and a loving, devoted and inspiring father. He founded Doane's Pharmacy in 1951, retiring from the business in 1976. He was a pillar of the community and involved in a variety of community activities, including: 60 year member of the Rotary Club receiving a Paul Harris Fellow Honor, founding member of the Essex Ambulance Association, director of the CBC Bank, and active member of the Essex Yacht Club and founding member of the Pettipaug Yacht Club. Darline and Bob were Pilots at the Mystic Seaport for over 30 years of volunteer time. Life-long sailors, they enjoyed their time on the East Coast leading to a 20 year residence in the Bahamas at their beloved Man-O-War Cay. Bob was predeceased by his wife Darline Doane in Oct 2003 and survived by his five children, Timotha, Linda, Deborah, Robert, and John, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and several beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. A Memorial Service will be held at the First Congregational Church, Methodist Hill Road, Essex on November 5th at 1 PM. Interment will be private at Riverview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Essex Ambulance Association, Box 233, Ivoryton, 06442. Arrangements by Robinson, Wright, and Weymer Funeral Home, Centerbrook. To share a memory of Bob, please visit rwwfh.com.