Robert (Rob) Markowski

Robert "Rob or Bob" Markowski – 60 years old of Cranford, NJ – left us peacefully on the morning of January 20, 2017 after almost two years of battling head/neck cancer.
Robert, the only child of Charles and Jeanne Markowski, was born on December 30, 1956. He was raised in Union, New Jersey where he graduated from Union High School class of '74. He obtained his B.S. in Marketing from Seton Hall University class of '78. Although he did not pursue any further formal education, Robert was a life-long learner. He was a lover of history and science. His interest in biology led him naturally to the field of medical device sales, where he greatly impacted the industry throughout the greater New York metropolitan area.
He met his loving wife, Maryellen Markowski, at a client's office where she worked as a secretary. They were married in 1982. Their first child, Matthew, was born in July 1987. Their second, Christopher, was born in June 1992.
Robert provided a loving and supportive home and upbringing for his children in partnership with his wife Mary. He was vigorously dedicated to his work, but managed to achieve a careful balance between his personal and professional life. His family didn't think twice about the time he dedicated to work, for he was always there for the important moments in life. Little did they know though, he was also teaching, guiding, mentoring, and making huge impacts in the lives of his colleagues wherever his work took him. He provided for his family, friends, and colleagues a moral compass that could guide you and lead you towards the right, just, and responsible solution to a problem or direction in life. He was always willing and happy to have a "heart to heart" late night in the kitchen. Robert saw his home and property in Cranford as "an oasis" where the craziness and unpredictability of the world dare not enter.
Robert loved his privacy and personal time as much as he loved entertaining and laughing with friends and family. His homes hosted many parties and wonderful memories throughout the years. He was always one to tell a (off-color) joke, and was very much the life of the party. When he opened his mouth to speak, you knew you should be getting ready for a laugh.
Robert "told it how it is." He was brave, and never let fear prevent him from doing the right thing, wherever and whenever. His advice was sound, and his actions were honorable. All he did was for his family, their comfort, security, and happiness. He had a vision for and sense of the world that was balanced, realistic, and morally sound.
He was a beach-goer through and through. He and Mary found fun and peace in one of their favorite beach towns, Cape May, NJ, where they visited several times a year. They also enjoyed the cliffs and beaches of Highlands, NJ and the history and nature of Sandy Hook National Park. Robert loved lighthouses. Their solid, solitary, guiding nature – and historic significance – inspired him. He liked cars, for which he appreciated the human-triumph of their machinery and their artful aesthetics. He was truly a lover of all things "hands on." He appreciated all manner of engineering – bridges, architecture, trains. He loved rock and roll, blues, and jazz. He always had a great song to share. He was disciplined. He made organization a true art, and kept all matters in his life clean, tidy, and timely.
He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Mary, his sons, Matthew and Christopher, and his mother Jeanne.
A celebration of Robert's life is scheduled for Saturday, January 28th, from 2 to 6 pm with a service of memorial at 2:30 pm, and 5 pm for family and friends , at Gray Memorial Funeral Home in Cranford, NJ. The family would love you to share a memory or story about Rob. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Thyroid, Head, and Neck Center Foundation (www.thancfoundation.org/donate/) or Center for Hope Hospice and Palliative Care (www.cfhh.org).