Robert A. Gentner

Robert Alvin Gentner, 88, of Delmar passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, September 26, 2012 at the VA Hospital in Albany. He was born in Passaic, NJ, October 16, 1923, son of the late Godfrey and Agnes Gentner. He served in the United States Coast Guard during WWII in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters achieving the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Upon his discharge at the conclusion of the war, he captained a private yacht for a year along the east coast before returning to NJ to work as the maintenance supervisor at the Watson Flagg company. While at Watson Flagg he supervised the conversion of a WWII "Crash Boat" into a private yacht which he also captained. During this time at Watson Flagg he met his future wife, Grace Kooiman of Haledon, N.J.. They married in 1951. From 1953 until 1965, Bob worked as a salesman for Frank J. Riggio Inc, a manufacturer's representative of power plant control equipment. He attended Newark College of Engineering during this time. In 1965, Bob moved his family to Delmar to start their own business, Mid-Hudson Controls Inc., also a manufacturer's representative of power plant control equipment. He and Grace ran Mid-Hudson Controls until 1989 when they sold the business and retired. Bob and his family spent many happy years at their second home in Barnegat Light, N.J. on Long Beach Island as well as at their post-retirement, winter home in Bokeelia, FL on Pine Island. Bob had a passion for the ocean and spent many hours fishing, boating and walking the beach both in NJ and FL. Bob was sadly predeceased by his wife, Grace, of 49 years who died in 2001 and brother, Donald of Phoenix, AZ. Survivors include his only son, Robert T. (Elizabeth Ganley); his beloved grandchildren, Abigail and Duncan, and brother, Russell of California. The Gentner family expresses tremendous gratitude to the staff of the VA Hospital in general and most specifically to the Silver Team and Hemodialysis Unit for the incredibly compassionate care Bob received. Calling hours will be held on Monday, October 8, 2012 from 4 to 7pm in the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 11am at New Scotland Presbyterian Church, 2010 New Scotland Rd., Slingerlands, followed by a committal service at the Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Road, Schuylerville, NY at 3 PM. In place of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Stratton VA Medical Center, Voluntary Services Box 135, 113 Holland Ave. Albany, NY 12208.