Obituary of Robert J. Conrad
Robert J. Conrad, 86, of Danbury, beloved husband of Concettina “Connie” (Dilluvio) Conrad, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, April 15, 2023. He was born in Danbury on December 9, 1936, son of the late Merritt and Helen (Dominski) Conrad.
Bob was a graduate of Danbury High School Class of 1954 and served in the National Guard.
He received a BS in Education from Western CT State University, formerly known as Danbury State Teacher College in 1965. He was a teacher for Garden Street School in Brewster, New York for twenty-seven years. As a teacher he was dynamic and engaging and made lasting impressions. His students would often correspond with him, writing heartfelt letters of appreciation for many years after.
Bob’s passion for baseball is well known. As a young boy he played in the streets and backlots of Danbury. In the 1954 season pitching for Danbury High, he had a great season and was named co-MVP. That DHS baseball season led to a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the spring of 1955, he went to spring training in North Carolina and succeeded in making the team in Tifton, Georgia, and affectionately earned the nicknames “Cookie” and “Lefty”. After trying baseball, he returned to Danbury and had a successful teaching career. During his teaching career he continued to play baseball on several in state and out-of-state teams and managed a semi-pro team. Bob’s softball career with the Danbury Industrial League is legendary! His team won the league championship for nine years in a row. He played for twenty-five years and managed for five years. Bob also coached little league and junior league teams. Bob competed with traveling teams in Florida as well as Cape Cod and New Jersey. He has received numerous MVP awards and was inducted into the Danbury Old Timer’s Association and the Danbury High School Hall of Fame in 2014.
In addition to his love of his life and cherished wife of 65 Years, Connie, he will be missed by his daughter, Susan Conrad Kielty and her husband Thomas III; his sons, Robert Conrad and his wife, Susan, and David Conrad and his wife, Maresa; his eight grandchildren, Alexandra, Thomas, Heleyna, Haley, Benjamin, Zachary, Connor, Jacob; and great grandchildren, Cooper, Carter and Beckett.
He was predeceased by his sisters, Virginia Fournier and Betty Fusek; and his half-brother, George Conrad and half-sister Mardel Conrad.
Funeral services will be held at the Cornell Memorial Home, 247 White Street, Danbury, on Wednesday, April 19th at 6:30pm.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday between the hours of 3:30 to 6:30pm.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Regional Hospice (https://regionalhospicect.org/) or the Michael J Fox Foundation ( https://www.michaeljfox.org/ ).
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