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February 18, 2018

Veteran

Robert “Bob” E. Naser

 

Robert E. Naser, who divided his time between his condominium home on the sandy shores of Wollaston Beach, Quincy, Massachusetts and his 90-acre farm perched on the hill at Naser Place, Goffstown, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully this week.

The eldest son of Sarah (Saccoach) Naser and Ernest Naser, Mr. Naser’s life was indelibly shaped by the events of his childhood and early life including his father’s untimely death in 1940, the Great Depression and World War II.  Shortly after his father’s death, his mother was forced to close the family concession stand at Wollaston Beach and move with her four children into the one-bathroom home of her sister Evelyn Sullivan. Together, the household numbered twenty.   Determined to support his mother and his siblings, Mr. Naser left high school in his junior year to work at the Fore River Shipyard as a production welder.  Mr. Naser enlisted in the United States Navy on his seventeenth birthday 1943, partly out of duty for his country and partly out of necessity to support his mother and siblings with his military stipend.  This auspicious beginning would come to define the purpose of his life over the next half century as the provider, protector and patriarch of his immediate and extended family.

Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, Mr. Naser was hired by William  “Bill” Rosenberg at Industrial Luncheons in what was to be later transformed into the iconic coffee shop Dunkin’ Donuts.  During his employment, Mr. Naser was integral in the concept development, site locating, store opening and management operations of the first five Dunkin’ Donuts coffee shops.  Mr. Naser left  Dunkin’ Donuts to become President of Eastern Aluminum Corporation and A.C. Deering Company of Dedham, Massachusetts where he continued to innovate.  He designed and manufactured the first 4” colonial-look clapboard aluminum siding that is now ubiquitous in the aluminum (vinyl) siding industry.  In the late 1960s, Mr. Naser’s home improvement business evolved and, under quite fortuitous circumstances, his career turned towards commercial real estate development, a career in which he remained active until his death.  During this time, Mr. Naser built dozens of properties for many national companies such as John Hancock, Firestone, Goodyear as well as developing several residential condominium projects in Florida.  Mr. Naser was also a founding Director of the Lincoln Trust Company of Hingham, Massachusetts in 1965 until the company’s sale in 1987.

Later in his life, Mr. Naser was an active philanthropist, supporting many organizations dedicated to the relief of human suffering around the world.  In the process, Mr. Naser was privileged to have been befriended by such great humanitarians as President Jimmy Carter and the Rev. Desmond Tutu.  Mr. Naser’s passion for giving also focused on remembering the great sacrifices of our military personnel, most notably through his position as Vice Chair of the United States Navy Memorial Foundation and his involvement with the Disabled American Veterans.

Mr. Naser was an active member in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (Est. AD1638), the Quincy Elks Lodge 943, Milton American Legion Post 114 among other social and charitable organizations.

While Mr. Naser’s professional and philanthropic activities are quite notable, by his own account his greatest legacy is the vast and loving network of family and friends he leaves behind, all of whom he dearly loved and who dearly loved him.  Mr. Naser is predeceased by his wife of over fifty years Theresa “Terry” (Gillis), sisters Shirley Clayton and Sally George.  He is survived by his Brother Edwin “Ted” Naser, children Elizabeth A. Naser of Bedford New Hampshire, Carole-Terese Naser of Gordonsville, Virginia, Anne C. Naser (husband Edward Lainsbury) of Mobile, Alabama, Robert D. Naser (wife Camille) of Dedham, Massachusetts and William G. Naser (wife Barbara) of Natick Massachusetts, grandchildren Colburn Daniels, Alexander Daniels, Timothy Naser, Matthew Naser, Molly Naser, Oliver Naser, Evan Naser, Sally Naser and great granddaughter Lucy Daniels and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves his companion Ann Rosenberg of Goffstown, New Hampshire.

Visitations will be held on Thursday, February 22, 2018 4pm – 8pm at the French and Rising Funeral Home, 17 South Mast Street, Goffstown, New Hampshire and on Friday, February 23, 2018 4pm – 8pm at the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock Street, Quincy, Massachusetts.  Funeral services will be private.  A remembrance and celebration of Mr. Naser’s life will be held at a time and place yet to be determined.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the “Sally Naser Charitable Foundation, Inc.”, PO Box 1270, Dedham, MA 02027, in support of pediatric cancer research.