Robert J. Hope Obituary
Robert J. Hope, 88, resident of Rockport, Mass, and former executive editor of college texts for a prominent Boston publishing firm, died on December 16, 2021, from heart disease.
"Bob" Hope (the "original" Bob Hope, as he joked, to distinguish himself from the famous comedian) was born in 1933, in Somerville Mass, to Adele Carini and Joseph Hope. He was their last baby—a surprise baby—joining a large, bustling family of six other siblings living in a traditional Somerville triple decker that also housed extended family, Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim. Following a happy, lively childhood, Bob, in adolescence, found himself drawn and awed by nature, remarking that he experienced God's presence in the majesty of a starry sky, in the silent mystery of a vivian night, the power of an expansive ocean.
After graduating Boston College High School, he entered Saint John's Seminary in Brighton Mass, where he received a B.A. in philosophy, while cultivating close friendships lasting over 65 years. Leaving his seminary studies after seven years, Bob made use of his academia training and faith formation as an editor for over 40 years at Allyn & Bacon and Simon and Schuster, specializing in catechetical texts, mathematics, and science, often saying, he was "blessed" to work with gifted authors.
During his early years at Allyn & Bacon, he met his first wife, the late Constance V Hope, and he is survived by their two daughters, Monica Hope, of Andover Mass. and Rachel Hope, of South Weymouth Mass. One of the most poignant of Bob's many gifts, was his childlike heart -- his delight of children. Bob had the innate ability to always make things – ' Fun. His daughters' childhoods were filled with forest explorations, trips to zoos and parks, bike rides, movies, swimming at Lake Walden, and rainy Saturdays creating little art masterpieces from odds and ends, to hang on the wall.
A pivotal time in Bob's later life was when he met his beloved second wife, Sylvia Gelb, who, sadly, predeceased him in March 2021. They were partners for over 42 years. Sylvia was also a college textbook editor, as well as an accomplished local Rockport artist. Bound by mutual interests and intellectual curiosity, they never stopped taking in lectures, art shows, BC basketball games, and museums, sharing a mutual love and pursuit of science – and a sense of wonder in nature and the universe.
Bob was a natural athlete. His favorite sport was basketball, and in 1998 he participated in the Senior Olympics held in Arizona. He played tennis, handball, and baseball, and was an ardent downhill skier, winning races and earning local medals.
Bob's strongest belief was that God's love is unconditional, a love that can't be earned --because it's already ours, simply - with existence. Throughout his life he held numerous volunteer positions in which he would share, encourage, and bolster this belief. He taught spirituality to prison inmates, English at a shelter for battered women, coached basketball, volunteered at both an inner-city teen center, and a Rockport teen center. For over 25 years, he never missed the 20 -mile "Walk for Hunger". Many weekends, he could be found serving at the local Gloucester food pantry, "The Open Door" or in years past, the "Haley House", in Boston. It always felt to him that the effort to serve, was more like "getting "– than giving."
One of Bob's main passions was his devotion for over 50 years to the-Paulist Center, a Catholic church in Boston, where he served on the Liturgy Committee, lector, RCIA, Educational Committee member, Pastoral Council and sacristan. Additionally, he wrote for a Catholic newspaper. Devotee and friend of the mystic Abbott Thomas Keating, originator of the "Centering Prayer "practice - Bob went on to teach Centering prayer workshops, and, in addition, to sponsor weekly – a local Rockport prayer group, a group, he greatly cherished. His daily practice in of "Lectio" (using the day's liturgy readings to write a daily prayer poem) resulted in the beautiful publication - his family is very proud of, a book titled From the Center: Poetic Prayers and Meditations " by Robert J Hope.
A wake will be held on Thursday, December 23rd, from 2:00 -4:00 pm at Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington St, Gloucester, MA.
