Obituary of Robert DeCoste

Robert B. DeCoste 78, Resident of Basking Ridge Robert Bennett DeCoste, 78, of Basking Ridge passed away peacefully on Monday, December 21 at home after a 5-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born on December 2, 1942 to Caroline (née Harrison) and John B. (Jack) DeCoste and was a lifelong resident of Basking Ridge. Bob had a great love of plants and the outdoors which he shared with his immediate and extended family. He spent his early working years at Thomas Young Orchids, Warrenville Florist, and Rutgers University Greenhouses as an expert orchid grower. In 1969 he started his own landscaping business and spent many years caring for his clients and their properties until his retirement in 2017, when he passed the business on to his youngest son. Bob was always quick with a smile and loved to laugh and share stories with others, especially his brothers and many nieces and nephews. He was an avid photographer and loved to capture images of family, landscapes, and trains of all kinds. Walking near the train tracks or along the canal paths looking for interesting trains and “treasures” was one of his favorite pastimes, with old Edison bottles and glass insulators being his most notable finds. He loved to explore new places and often took long drives with his wife and children to see the sites and create lasting memories. 4am was his favorite time to get up and be on the road for these adventures! Some of his most memorable trips were with the American Littoral Society, a shoreline conservation group, to go whale watching in Cape Cod, hiking in Maine and photographing the wild horses of Chincoteague, VA and also a trip to Colorado in 2017 for a family wedding and exciting ride up to the top of Pike’s Peak on the cog railway. Robert will be greatly missed by family, friends and many clients. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Monica (née Mandeen), who lovingly cared for him during his life and illness, and his children: Christina (husband Charles), Allison (partner Rich), Joshua, Justin (wife Meaghan) DeCoste. He is survived also by his brothers Richard L. DeCoste of Greensboro, NC, James D. (wife Carol) DeCoste of Basking Ridge, and Paul E. (wife Patricia) DeCoste of Highland Lakes, NJ. He was predeceased by his brother John H. (wife Elaine) DeCoste of Charlotte, NC. Funeral arrangements are by Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home in Basking Ridge. For further information, or to leave an online condolence message please visit www.gcfuneralhome.com. A memorial service will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge on January 4, 2021 at 11am with internment in the Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that donations be made to the Canal Society of New Jersey., PO Box 737, Morristown, NJ 07963-0737.