Robert Costanin

Robert V. Costantin, age 90 of Wayne, died peacefully on Monday, September 14, 2020.  He has lived in Wayne since 1959.

Bob grew up in Clifton and after graduating from high school, he played semi-pro baseball before joining the U.S. Marine Corps.  During his time in the service, he was a tank mechanic at Quantico and San Diego, also earning his expert rifleman designation.  After being honorably discharged in 1952, he maintained close ties to his fellow Marines and was active with the Marine Corps League Lakeland Detachment 744 in Oakland, NJ.

Bob enjoyed a career spanning nearly forty years with Local 102 IBEW, retiring nearly thirty years ago as an Electrician General Foreman.

Bob’s interests were wide-spread.  He was always passionate about auto racing, and he drag raced with his son during the early 1970’s, racing at Island Dragway and Raceway Park.  He attended the Indianapolis 500 many times throughout the years, went to Trenton Speedway, and others. Bob also loved to watch his son, Robert, build and race his own car in more recent years.  Bob was also a big fan of the NY GIANTS and the NY YANKEES.  He remained a loyal Willy Mays fan his entire life.  Bob also loved watching any movie that starred his favorite actor; John Wayne.  He could watch John Wayne films all day long, reciting nearly every line, and he collected various John Wayne memorabilia over the years.  He also enjoyed landscaping his yard, target shooting, and collecting toy trains.

Bob met his wife, Alice (nee Rigney), in 1951 at Mario’s Restaurant in Clifton.  They hit it off right from the start and their romance blossomed.  They married in 1952 and lived in Clifton before moving to Wayne in 1959.  Together, they hosted weekend-long parties at their home, including backyard BBQ’s where the pool was always full of family and friends.  They made a great team raising their three children, followed by seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  They enjoyed fifty-nine years together before Alice passed away in 2011.  Bob has missed her dearly ever since.  Sadly, Bob also lost his daughter, Carlene Gruber, in 2019.

Bob is survived by two of his children; Robert N. Costantin and his wife Patty of Sayreville, NJ, and Michele Costantin of Little Egg Harbor, NJ, his son-in-law; James Gruber of Naperville, IL, seven grandchildren; Dave, Brian, Jennifer, Amanda, Kristine, RJ, and Marissa, as well as three great-grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his wife Alice in 2011, by his daughter Carlene Gruber of Naperville, IL in 2019, mother Eleanor (nee Collari) in 1984, father Attilio Costantin in 1989, and sister, Alice Cutrona, of Bradenton, FL, in 2005.