Robert E. “Bob” Gloyd, age 87 of Westford, MA

WESTFORD, MA — Robert E. “Bob” Gloyd, age 87, passed peacefully from this earth in hospice care on June 1, 2022, at his longtime home in Westford, MA, due to complications from COPD/Emphysema and Congestive Heart Failure.

Bob was born March 23, 1935 in Brockton, MA to Charles Lester Gloyd and Cora Fuller (Pierce). His youth was mostly spent living in Plymouth, MA. His father passed when Bob was 6 years old leaving his mother to raise four young children on her own. Bob dropped out of high school before graduating in order to get jobs on the fishing boats to help support the family. He was a strong and vibrant man and is described as a young man with a Charles-Atlas-like figure in a book by his good boyhood friend Skip DeBrusk.

Bob was a veteran of the Korean War having served in the US Air Force as a morse code radio operator stationed in England and Morocco among other locations. He proudly earned his GED during his time in the military. After his service, he returned to Plymouth and met former schoolmate, Marilyn A. Clark on the Plymouth beach and they married soon after.

After marriage, Bob became a housepainter working for Marilyn’s father, Alton Thomas Clark, at C.T. Clark & Son Painting. When Alton passed away, Bob took over the painting business and continued on for several years. While painting, he began night-school education to earn an Associates Degree in Electronics at Franklin Institute in Boston. After that he earned his Masters in Electronics from Lowell Technological Institute (now UMass Lowell). Bob and Marilyn made many sacrifices of time and effort all throughout their lives in order to secure college educations for their girls and a comfortable future.

In 1973, they moved to Westford, MA, so that Bob could take a job with General Radio in Concord, MA. He later worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, Compaq (part of Hewlett Packard) and then Intel. He was a technical writer and taught computer repair/maintenance classes for the company. Bob retired at the age of 72 after a 30-year career (he held out for a retirement package as an ever-frugal product of depression-era upbringing).

During his pre-retirement and retirement years he enjoyed many vacations with Marilyn to favorite locations such as St Thomas & St John, USVI; Sedona, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; and the Hawaiian Islands. Later short vacations were often to Foxwoods Casino in CT where Bob rarely gambled one penny but instead enjoyed the fitness club.

Besides travel his hobbies included mountain climbing, camping, walking, playing cards, reading, home repair, photography, gardening, jigsaw puzzling, volunteer work, and genealogy. All of his life he was an avid lover of cats and adopted a stray cat and several pet shelter rescues over his life.

Bob was predeceased by his three siblings: Ruth Jesse of Kingston, MA; Charles Gloyd, Jr of Springfield, MA; and Ronald Gloyd of San Antonio, TX. He devotedly visited his mother, sister Ruth and brother Charles as they each in turn struggled with failing health and old age.

Bob regretfully leaves his wife of 63 years Marilyn Avis (Clark) and cherished daughters Leslie Gloyd (spouse Lorna Franco) and Wendy Gloyd (spouse Lisa Deitch). He was a devoted family man who always best enjoyed time with immediate and extended family.

Bob’s favorite motto was “It’s better to be lucky than smart” in honor of feeling that his life’s good fortune had more to do with good luck rather than intelligent decisions.

At Bob’s request there will be no public funeral service or calling hours. A private burial will be held at Vine Hills Cemetery in Plymouth, MA, with immediate family only.

In lieu of flowers, friends who wish may make memorial donations in Bob’s name to Friends of the Cameron Senior Center, 20 Pleasant Street, Westford, MA 01886. Arrangements are in the care of the Dolan Funeral Home, 106 Middlesex St. Chelmsford, MA. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dolanfuneralhome.com.