Robert Garrey (60) passed away Sunday, September 20, 2026, after an extremely brief battle with cancer. Rob was born in Hartford on June 30, 1966. He lived in Wethersfield most of his life until his recent move to West Hartford.

Rob was predeceased by his parents, Connie and Siggy Garrey, and his brother Ken Garrey. He is survived by his sister Cindy and husband Ray Neshko, his sister Janet Garrey, his brother Rick Garrey and wife Denise, and his brother Wayne Garrey. Rob had a very special relationship with each of his nieces and nephews – Cassandra Pilczak and fiancé Louis Petrillo, Alex Pilczak, Josh Garrey and wife Heather, Sara Garrey and fiancé Corey Saltalamacchia, Taylor Garrey and boyfriend Trew Palzkill, and James Neshko and wife Jessica Kudelka and their children Ellen, Aiden, and Addison. He loved and had special relationships with our large extended family. He also leaves his long-time good friend Ann Fry who has been a great support.

Rob had a very successful career in the financial services and retirement planning industry, holding leadership positions with several major financial organizations. His most recent position was Product Director with Voya Financial.

Rob was a generous supporter and contributor to many organizations and had a special passion for local charities, to which he also contributed much of his time. Although Wethersfield was no longer his hometown, he continued to volunteer for the Wethersfield Village Improvement Association, with his special focus on activities for Arbor Day. Yep, he was a tree hugger!

Rob had more friends than we can count from many different areas of his life. He continued to stay in regular contact with friends from both Corpus Christi Elementary School and South Catholic High School. He had an ever-growing group of friends whether it was those he worked with, those in the community, others he met through his numerous social activities and of course, the restaurant industry. If you were friends with him on Facebook, you are probably familiar with everyone's favorite guessing game, "What's Rob having for dinner tonight?"

Family was very important to Rob. Family gatherings and Sunday dinners were a cherished and consistent part of his life. In addition to the time he spent with his family, Rob loved to travel, attend local theater and plays, and of course, dine out or gather with friends for home cooked meals. Rob stood out in every room he walked into, making everyone around him smile. People were drawn to him because of his unique sense of humor. He truly was one of a kind.

Rob never met a dog he didn't love and the feeling was always mutual. He held a special place in his heart for his mom's (now Janet's) dog Angel, who always had a place next to him at the dining room table (literally).

We would like to thank the staff at UConn Health Center. This includes his entire Oncology team who went above and beyond expediting his treatments to give him the best chance for recovery, as well as the medical staff in ICU and Intermediate Care units for their extraordinary treatment and compassion. Their personal attention and optimism helped Rob keep his positive attitude. He never got discouraged, and he continued to believe he would recover right to the end.

In memory of Rob, please get together with your friends, have dinner with your family, travel, see a play and enjoy life. That is what Rob would want.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Rob's favorite charities – Playhouse on Park (www.playhouseonpark.org), Friends of Feeney (www.friendsoffeeney.com), or The Bushnell Park Foundation (www.bushnellpark.org)

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, from 4pm to 8pm, at the William J. Pitkin Community Center, 30 Greenfield Street, Wethersfield, CT 06109.