Obituary of Robert J. Doherty

TROY- On Tuesday August 3rd, 2021 Robert (Bob) J. Doherty passed away at the age of 76. Bob was born on Sept. 1, 1944 in New York City. He grew up in the Bronx, NY and was in ROTC while he earned his Bachelors degree from NYU in 1966. He married Kathleen Bauer (now Clausen) in 1967 and was commissioned in the Army at Ft. Leavenworth Kansas from 1967-1969 where he led a prisoner rehabilitation program and where their 2 children Lenore and Andrew were born. He earned his Masters of Social Work at Columbia University in 1972 and started a long career working in and leading hospital based programs for alcohol / substance abuse and behavioral health psychiatric programs. He moved to Rochester, NY where he married Marianne Cook (Alletto) in 1984. They shared a blended family with Marianne’s children Laura, Matt and Lisa and Bob’s children Lenore and Andrew. Bob and Marianne moved to the Albany area in 2000 and lived in Delmar until Marianne’s passing in 2006. Bob moved to Troy NY in 2007 and dedicated much energy contributing to and promoting the Troy community. In his retirement years he was elected to the Troy City Council where he served for six years to better his community and was known for his commitment to his principles while striving to seek common ground and overcome barriers to progress. He was a founding member and President of the Justice Center of Rensselaer County, an organization dedicated to achieving equality and promoting and welcoming a diverse community by addressing persistent and structural prejudice in our political, economic, educational and social systems. Bob’s eternal optimism and positive attitude were infectious to all who knew him. He mastered being fully present in the moment, lifting the spirits of those around him and enjoying every moment of life. Being joyous and bringing joy to others were core to his being. Bob dedicated his life to the service of others. Through his determined efforts in his career and numerous personal relationships, Bob touched and improved the lives of countless others yet perceived himself the beneficiary. He was a fierce supporter of the less advantaged and more troubled among us and appreciated the humanity in every human being. His family was the thing he most treasured. He was preceded in death by his father William, mother Lenore, brother William, and wife Marianne. He is survived by his five children Lenore (David) Nowicky (Doherty) , Andrew (Meghan) Doherty, Laura Cook, Mathew (Anne) Cook and Lisa (Tim) Curry (Cook) as well as his 6 grandchildren Halle, Samuele, Hannah, Liam, Kate and Neave. A memorial service will be held on Saturday (Aug. 7th) from 1-4 PM at Frear Park in Troy, NY (entrance on North Lake Ave.) The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations in his honor be made to the Justice Center of Rensselaer County (www.jcrc1.org or send check to PO Box 1734, Troy NY, 12181.) Arrangements are under the direction of Simple Choices, Inc. "The Cremation Service" To leave a special message for the family, please visit: SimpleChoicesCremation.com