Robert G. Bach, 94
LENOX, Mass. — Robert G. Bach, 94, of Kimball Farms died on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015.
Born in Bronx, N.Y., in 1920, the son of Russian immigrants, he lived in Hancock, Williamston and Lenox, having first fallen in love with the area as a camp counselor at age of 17, when he was able to sneak in and experience some of the first Tanglewood concerts. He earned his bachelor's degree from City College of New York.
A Navy veteran of World War II, he built radio stations in the Philipinnes.
Mr. Bach had a broad career in audio electronics that spanned the early age of audio broadcasting through to the digital age, and was linked to his love of recorded music: He could name the piece of any classical work after hearing only a few bars.
As a young boy, he built and operated shortwave radios, which led to his work in electronics in the Navy and as a civilian technician during the Korean War. After completing college, he worked with the Federal Communications Lab, Philco, Columbia University's Radiation Laboratory, and Fairchild Recording before opening his own company, Bach Sales Corp., representing innovative and leading brands.
From the first stereo headphones developed by Koss to the cutting-edge technology and design of the famed Danish company Bang and Olufsen, Mr. Bach worked to expand access to the best in new sound engineering in the greater New York area. In 1967, he was founder and publisher of db Magazine, filling a gap in the fast growing world of audio engineering.
In the 1980s and '90s, he operated Brodie Mountain Country Antiques before moving to Williamstown.
From the Bronx to the Berkshires, he lived a long life filled with deep love of his family, an inquiring mind, a ready smile and an abundant sense of humor. He was a supportive and sympathetic listener and wonderful storyteller whose imaginative characters and stories captivated generations of children, said family. His gentle demeanor, dapper appearance, kindness and boundless sense of humor were appreciated by all who knew him.
He and his wife, the former Suzanne Gordon, were married in 1952. He knew she was the love of his life the first time he met her, and his love remained undiminished for the 62 years of their marriage. In 1963, they purchased a home and acreage in Hancock, and he devoted countless hours to the renovation of the farmhouse, and eventually turned the barn into an extraordinary home.
In addition to his wife, he leaves a daughter, Claudia Bach and her husband, Philip Smart, of Seattle; two sons, Raymond Bach and his wife, Sylvie, of Strasbourg, France, and Jonathan Bach and his wife, Yukiko Koga, of New York City; five grandchildren, Amanda and Gregory Smart, and Julian, Matthew and Claire Bach; and a brother-in-law, Albert Gordon.
FUNERAL NOTICE — Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 523 Hagerstown, MD 21741-5022 or in care of Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247.