Edward Robert Duffy – Bob or Bobby to his friends and family, “Captain” to his bowling teammates – passed away on May 13, 2023, in Summerfield, Fla., after a short illness. He was 84.
Bob was born on November 21, 1938, in Troy, N.Y., the middle child of five born to his parents, the late Joseph J. Duffy and Ellen M. Duffy. With his gift for numbers and finance, Bob seemed destined for career success like his siblings. Alcoholism would derail that promising future, forcing him to drop out of Siena College and to struggle for nearly 10 years, but it also put him on an important and rewarding path.
After completing a rehabilitation program in 1968, Bob worked as an alcoholism counselor at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, N.Y. In 1974 he launched a non-profit organization, Driving and Alcohol Programs, which provided counseling and education for people convicted of driving while intoxicated. The program, twice profiled in local newspapers, assisted hundreds of people annually for over a decade. From 1989 to 1994, Bob worked as director of community programs at Leonard Hospital in Troy.
After retiring, Bob relocated to Florida and developed a wide circle of friends in and around the community of The Villages, and at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Lady Lake, where he put his charm and business sense to work as a greeter and constant source of suggestions on how to keep guests happy.
One of his favorite activities was his Thursday bowling team, and even this year, at age 84, he averaged 175. Bob served as both captain and coach, always helping anyone who bowled, even their opponents. One of his favorite teammates was a young man named Ben, who has Down Syndrome. Ben called Bob his “great Florida uncle,” and every time they bowled together, Bob wore a Special Olympics hat that Ben had given him. Bob would often cheer Ben on, telling him the team needed a strike, and Ben would deliver.
Notably, Bob remained sober for more than 50 years.
Bob will be fondly remembered by Dianne Scott, his brother Blake Duffy, 15 nieces and nephews, and dozens of friends, who say they will miss the smile, joyous nature and the friendship that you can only find in a person who cares so much about others.
Plans for a celebration of life are pending. Donations in Bob’s name may be made to Hope House, an addiction treatment center in Albany, N.Y. (https://www.hopehouseinc.org/donate), or to Hospice of Marion County (https://www.hospiceofmarion.com/donate/).
