Robert Bernard Caira

Robert Bernard Caira, 88, husband of Susanne (Parker) Caira of Plymouth,  died peacefully on January 30th. Bob was born November 25, 1930 to Bernard Caira and Dorothy (Mitchell) Caira of Nahant. A natural athlete, he enjoyed playing hockey and baseball, once even pitching a no hitter. After graduating from St. Mary’s High School, he decided, at the height of the Korean War, to enlist in the Air Force, serving four years and achieving the rank of Staff Sargent. His time in the Air Force, and the lifelong friends he made there, were the subject of frequent stories told to his children and grandchildren. He attended the University of Notre Dame on the G.I. Bill, graduating with honors in 1958. While in college he married Sue, his loving wife of 63 years, and had their first two children.  After graduating, Bob took an advertising job in New York City and moved to Sue’s hometown of Madison, NJ, where they had two more children.

In 1965 Bob moved his family back to Massachusetts for a job with the First National Bank of Boston, where he worked in marketing for the next 23 years. During his tenure at the bank, he became a marketing expert and traveled the world giving speeches and seminars. He also taught at the Stonier School of Banking where he published a textbook that was lauded by students and practitioners.

Bob and Sue raised their children in Hingham, where Bob was very involved in youth baseball as a coach and announcer for many championship games over the years. He loved vegetable gardening, raising his tomatoes and hot peppers each year from seed, delighting family and friends with some of the juiciest tomatoes and hottest peppers in New England.

A gregarious man with a persevering Italian Heritage, he enjoyed hosting poker nights for his buddies with a spread of cold cuts fresh from the Boston’s North End. He loved to cook, and was famous among family and friends for the chowder and fritters he prepared with sea clams he’d harvested from Nantasket beach.

After retiring from the Bank of Boston in 1987, Bob consulted for a number of other banks. One of them, the Cape Cod Bank and Trust, asked him to join them to direct their marketing effort which he did for a number of years. Bob and Sue moved to Yarmouth Port on Cape Cod where their family frequently visited, enjoying the resort-like atmosphere of the property with its pool, par 3 golf hole, and fishing and canoeing in Crab Creek at the property’s edge. Bob spent many hours taking care of the yard riding his mower or golf cart and feeding the swans that came back year after year.

Bob is survived by his wife Sue of Plymouth, his sons, Jeff (Sylvia) of Sanbornton, NH, Greg (Kristen) of Marshfield, daughter Karen of Plymouth, brother Paul (Elaine) of Nahant, and eight grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Robin who passed away in 2001.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Tuesday, February 5th from 4 through 8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9 AM on Wednesday, February 6th prior to the Funeral Mass in the Church of the Resurrection, Hingham at 10 AM. Interment in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Hingham. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Robert may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital , 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or Shriners Hospitals for Children, Attn: Office of Development, 2900 N. Rocky Point Dr.,Tampa, FL 33607.