Robert Drucker, 78

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — On Thursday, March 19, 2020, Robert (Bob) Drucker, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away at the age 78 after a long and valiant battle with Parkinson's disease.

Born on November 29, 1941, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the late Herbert Drucker and Ida (Penziner) Drucker, Bob was raised in Brooklyn but spent significant parts of his childhood in Sheffield and Great Barrington, where he had extensive family. At age 19, he moved permanently to the Berkshires to open the Canaan Army and Navy Store in Canaan, Conn., with his relatives, eventually growing the business to Bob's Clothing and Shoes, which he ran until his retirement in 2008. In 1994, with his eldest son Peter, he opened Barrington Outfitters in Great Barrington, and it gave him great pride to have his youngest son Richard join the family business a few years later. 

Bob had a social nature and an affinity for meeting new people. He was known as a kind-hearted person with a keen sense of humor and an infectious laugh, who always had a great story to tell. He clothed generations of families and built lifelong friendships with his customers. For many, a trip through Canaan wasn't complete until you stopped in to see Bob.

In the early 1970s, Bob became an EMT and was one of the first volunteers to work on the Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad. He was proud to have served on the board of directors of the Canaan National Bank for many years, as well as on the board of the Salisbury Bank and Trust, where he served until 2017.

Bob was deeply committed to his family, and he leaves behind his devoted wife of 55 years, Karen (Meirowitz) Drucker; their children, Debbie Drucker and Larry Ring, Peter and Kristin (Soule) Drucker and Richard and Hilary (Tzelis) Drucker; his brother, Dr. Barry Drucker and his wife Susan; his brother-in-law Mark Meirowitz and his wife Judy Ring; nieces and nephews; and his six grandchildren, Haley and Alex Ring, Anna and Sarah Drucker, and Sam and Ian Drucker, who adored their Poppy almost as much as he adored them.

Funeral notice: In light of the current situation, there will be a summertime celebration of Bob’s life at his family's cottage on Twin Lakes in Salisbury, Conn., where he spent many joyous summers with friends, family, and happy dogs.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Robert Drucker may be made to support Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) research by Dr. Jeffrey Saffitz at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center by visiting the website or by check made payable to “Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center” with “Drucker/Dr. Jeffrey Saffitz Research Lab” in the memo line. Contributions can be mailed to: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Office of Development, 330 Brookline Ave (OV), Boston, MA 02215.