Robert George Lennon (The best brother in the whole world)
Bobby has always been my “Big Bro Bob”. In later years he didn’t like to be called Bobby. He wanted me to call him Bob. Sometimes I did; sometimes I didn’t. We were 10 years apart in age. “Big Bro Bob” would call me “Broke Toe Flo” because twice over the years I managed to break the same small toe on the same foot.
We grew up in Ridgewood, Queens, New York City. Our family rented what they called a cold water flat in a six- family house. The rent at the time was $45.00 per month. It was rent-controlled at the time.
Walk up the stoop (stairs) to the outer door. Open and you come into the vestibule, where you would ring the bell of the apartment you wanted to visit. You were let into the second door. We always lived on the middle floor, left-hand apartment. There was no air-conditioning, so our Mom said the upper floor would be too hot in the summer; and the lower floor too damp.
A cold- water flat was one where the rooms were in a straight line from each other. Open the apartment door to the living room. To the right was the kitchen where there was the table for dining and the door to the only bathroom. No shower. Just a sink, a tub and a toilet. If you go left out of the living room was my bedroom, off the airshaft to the next building. I had a small bed and a free-standing closet up against an indoor window overlooking the living room. Continuing left out of my bedroom was Bobby’s room. Then, lastly was our parents’ bedroom which overlooked the street.
I mention this to give a picture of our early life. We didn’t own a car, so it was public transportation to school, work and shopping.
When Bobby went into the Marine Corps I would always send him letters and ended them with an I LOVE YOU. The “O” was replaced with a nickel taped onto the letter. He said he really liked that, to keep it coming! He always had a great sense of humor.
Two more memories that stand out were the two of us using curtain rods to have a sword fight. Then there is the camera memory. One Christmas I really wanted a camera for a gift. I knew he knew that. Shortly before Christmas he came home from shopping and went straight to his room. Later, when he wasn’t there, and frankly, I don’t remember where my parents were at the time, I snuck into his bedroom and rifled through the dresser drawers, where I found what to me was a pretty big wrapped gift. I was devastated. I thought the package was too big to be a camera. On Christmas Day when I opened my present from him, it was a camera. What I hadn’t realized was that there were accessories, including a big flash attachment included in the package. I broke out in tears of joy.
Over the years, for one reason or another, I wound up in Washington State, where I met my husband Tom, married and had children. Bobby and I didn’t see each other much. Suzy, my daughter and I visited Bobby and his wonderful family a number of years ago. And then, when Bobby, (now I will call him Bob) turned 80 years old, I called Robin to see if I could come to surprise him. That was a wonderful time we had together. I will always treasure that visit.
My brother was a wonderful person. He was loving; an attentive and great Dad. I remember him giving baths to the kids when they were young. He had a great sense of humor, as I mentioned before. He was a gift to his family and friends from the good Lord for 85 years on this earth. His Maker has called him home. We will miss him here on earth, but will reunite some day with him. God bless him always.
-Florence Kirchner
