Obituary

Robert Allen Maher – 86, peacefully passed on December 19 in his home in Laguna Niguel. Bob grew up in New Jersey and showed an aptitude for carpentry and construction from an early age, carrying those talents with him, while serving in the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions on deployments to the Middle East in the early-1950s. Bob married his high school sweetheart (and roller skating buddy), Ruth Alice Hollreiser, and continued applying his construction skills in New Jersey, building homes under the banner of “Robert A. Maher Contracting.” In the late-1950s and early-1960s, Bob and Ruth had two sons, Steve and Jeff, living in a home in Brick Township in Northern New Jersey that Bob built himself. His desire to work year-round to care for his family prompted a move to Temple Terrace, Florida. There, in the mid-1960s, Bob built the house that Steve and Jeff would grow up in. Throughout his career, Bob worked and supervised numerous construction projects that included homes, large condominium projects, a food irradiation facility, hospitals, and for many years, various projects at a large, nearby theme park, Busch Gardens. Devotion to family, his love for Ruth, and construction were key passions throughout his entire life.

Bob and Ruth moved from Temple Terrace and retired to their home in Laguna Niguel in the late-1990s. There they enjoyed their peaceful retirement, traveling to Hawaii and Menorca, as well as many locations throughout the Continental United States. Even after Ruth’s passing in 2004, Robert’s devotion to family and love for Ruth motivated him to provide the best of care to his children, including traveling with Jeff on annual driving vacations.

Bob is survived by his two sons, Steve and Jeff, his grandchildren, Stephanie, Christina, and Alex, and his great-grandchildren, Lily, Isaac, and Abby. A memorial service will be held in the O’Connor Mortuary Chapel on Saturday, December 23 at 1:00 PM. The comingled ashes of Bob and Ruth will be buried at sea.

The Family appreciates all of the emotional support that family and friends have provided over the years. In lieu of flowers, if you had an optional memorial gift in-mind, Bob would have suggested a tax-deductible donation to an organization that has been very helpful to Jeff: www.vocationalvisions.org/.