Robert (Bob) Ewell

With quiet dignity Robert (Bob) Ewell passed away on November 25, 2022. During 69 of his ninety-one years of life he loved and was loved deeply by his wife Barbara Ann Ewell. Together they made a rich life full of family, friends, adventures and passions. Bob was a wonderful husband that will be forever loved and missed by Barbara. Richard Ewell is Bob's brother and life-long friend. From an early age they fished and made mischief together. Activities they continued into his final years of life.

Bob was the best father children could have. Robert Jr. and Karen are grateful to have called him Dad. He did for his children selflessly: making ice skating rinks of the entire backyard, attending games and meets, funding education, patiently guiding and always setting an example of how to live well and care for others. He was a generous and loving grandparent to Ira White and Zachary Ewell and great grandparent to Ethan and Noah White. He will forever be in all our hearts.

Bob was a successful self-taught watercolor artist. A life-long habit of early rising enabled Bob to create over 2,000 paintings; most of which hang on the walls of grateful patrons. The thoroughbred horses and their people of Saratoga Springs were one of his favorite subjects. He cherished his time at the Oklahoma and backstretch tracks drinking strong coffee, listening to bad jokes with great people, and taking photographs to later transform into paintings. He respected and admired the backstretch workers, morning riders and trainers. For him, his light filled paintings were a tribute to them and a creative puzzle to solve.

Bob also painted the scenes of Naples, Florida. Scenes he and Barbara captured over 25 winters during early morning surfcasting outings, evening beach sunset strolls and park concerts. Bob was an excellent fisherman. If you fished with Bob you would have had the experience of him getting a fish on the line and then passing the rod nonchalantly to you. Bob's fishing extended well beyond the Florida Gulf and included painfully early jaunts to the Salmon River for Steelhead and Salmon, gorgeous casts on the beaches of Cape Cod for Stripers and Blues and quiet fly and cast fishing on numerous lakes and streams.

Bob rose through the ranks from engineer to executive at General Electric (Schenectady, NY). It was the people he worked with that he talked about most. Some were life-long friends that well after retirement he met weekly for lunch. He was perhaps one of the few GE executives that played the harmonica on his morning and evening commutes. In the final year of his career he proudly, and with a smirk, left his tie at home, a first in over 30 years.

A celebration of Bob's life is planned for the summer of 2023 in Saratoga Springs, New York.