Robert John Wertis

Raleigh - ROBERT JOHN WERTIS, 87, of Raleigh, died peacefully surrounded by family at WakeMed Hospital on Friday, November 30, 2018. Born June 1, 1931, in Yonkers, NY, Bob was the son of Genevieve Paprochi Wertis and Joseph John Wertis. He earned a B.S. degree from Manhattan College in 1954 and was fiercely proud of his alma mater; once a Jasper, always a Jasper! From 1951 to 1954 Bob proudly served in the United States Marine Corps Platoon Leader Corps and was Active Duty from June 1954 to June 1956 as a First Lieutenant (Semper Fi!). He was a Life Member of Disabled American Veterans. Bob began a 35-year-career with IBM in 1956, retiring in 1991 as a Senior Product Planner. Bob lived a life of principle, purpose, and perseverance. Always faithful, he was a devout Catholic and an active member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Raleigh. Notable involvement in faith ministries for St. Francis include but are not limited to: past Parish Council member, co-leader with his wife, Dorothy, on the first team for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) program, and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. In 1966, Bob became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis under the jurisdiction of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, Endicott Fraternity. Bob was also involved in the Cursillo movement for many years. He was a lifelong patron of St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School, helping to ensure that God’s children on the Eastern Navajo Reservation were able to meet their daily survival needs and maintain their dignity. In addition, Bob was a dedicated volunteer at WakeMed for more than 25 years. An incredibly intelligent man, Bob was an avid reader (including the Encyclopedia Britannica). He enjoyed working on the daily crossword puzzle and was a baseball enthusiast; loved those Yankees! Bob was predeceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Dorothy Gould Wertis. He is survived by the ones he laughed with, lived for, and loved without conditions. His eight children and their spouses include: Bobby and (Patty) Wertis, Julie and (John) Fox, John and (Christine) Wertis, Liane and (Allen) Watson, Joseph and (Monique) Wertis, Elizabeth and (Miguel) Casas, Frances and (Eddie) Clark, and Dorothy and (Jimmy) Roche. He was proud of his fifteen grandchildren: Sidney, Andrew, Jay, Caroline, Megan, Bobby, Zachary, Luke, Mary Claire, Meredith, Mollie, William, Julia, Carly, and Olivia; and five great grandchildren: Lucy, Callum, Duncan, Sean, and Jack. Bob is also survived by his brother: Richard and his wife (Sandra) Wertis of New York and sister-in-law: Eva McGeehan of Colorado as well as many nieces, nephews and first cousins on Wertis and Paprochi sides, living in CA, CO, FL, MN, NC and NY. A funeral Mass is scheduled for Wednesday, December 5, 2018, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 11401 Leesville Rd., Raleigh, NC. Interment will be in the St. Francis of Assisi Memorial Garden and Columbarium. Family will receive friends immediately following the Interment. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Transitions LifeCare and/or St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School.