Obituary: Robert E. Cowles

Robert E. Cowles

1945 - 2021

Milford, Mass. – Robert E. Cowles, age 76, son of Donald and Doris Cowles of Manchester, Connecticut, died on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 surrounded by his loving family.

Bob was born in Manchester, Connecticut, and spent the formative years of his life in Manchester and Bolton, Connecticut.  He met and married Marie Spera of Talcottville, Connecticut, in 1966 and had two daughters, Dawn and Darcy. 

Bob and Marie moved to Waterbury Center, Vermont, when Bob accepted a sales position with the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. After 15 years, he left Wrigley and joined Maxwell House Coffee.  It wasn’t long before Maxwell House was bought out by Kraft Foods where Bob worked until retirement in 2004. During his time with Kraft Foods, Bob started out as a sales rep in Vermont and was soon promoted to account manager and transferred back to Connecticut. During that time, he called on C&S Wholesales Grocers and worked out of the Windsor office. Less than a year later, Bob was promoted to account manager for the Kraft Cheese Division calling on Shaw’s Grocery Headquarters in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Nearly five years later, he was promoted to retail sales manager assigned to Shaw’s and Demoula’s headquarters teams.

It was during this time that Bob was assigned to manage the Boston PGA division for Kraft Foods. Kraft became a corporate sponsor for the then Greater Hartford Open played in Cromwell, Connecticut for eight years. Under Bob’s direction, Kraft Foods supported the annual open and he played in the pro-am tournaments.  During this time, Bob became very active in golf, playing in many tournaments throughout the Boston area. It was also during this time that Bob started travelling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as well as Ocean City, Maryland, to play golf every year.

Ocean City had a tournament of 40 players played over a three-day timeframe. Bob won this tournament eight years in a row. He eventually focused on Myrtle Beach which he attended for more than 30 years. The regular crew of eight players went every year for a week in the spring and played the best courses Myrtle Beach had to offer. It was a period in Bob’s life that he looked back at with pride and a passion for the game.

What made Bob the happiest was Aruba. For more than 30 years Bob and Marie owned a timeshare at the Occidental Resort on Palm Beach in Aruba that they have enjoyed with family and friends. The best years were when his grandchildren Meghan, Rachel, and Cole would join him for a sun-filled week of snorkeling, swimming, gambling and Caribbean hospitality.

Funeral services and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Bob’s name may be made to Salmon Hospice, 37 Birch Street, Milford, MA 01757. 

Arrangements by Buma-Sargeant Funeral Home, Milford, MA. Online comments may be made at bumafuneralhome.com.