Robert “Bob” Kramer, 89, a longtime East Norwich resident and former vice president of personnel at Pergament Home Centers, died July 11 after a nearly decade-long battle with kidney cancer.
Born on Dec. 18, 1936 in Evansville, Indiana, Kramer’s early years were marked by humble beginnings according to his family. He lived for a time in a farmhouse in Ft. Myers, Florida, without running water or indoor plumbing. In his early teens, his mother moved the family back to Brooklyn, where Kramer finished his education before enlisting in the Army in 1954. He served in the Third U.S. Infantry Regiment, an Honor Guard unit stationed in Washington, D.C. known as “the Old Guard” since it is the oldest active unit in the Army.
“He was a very, very proud American,” his daughter, Lynn Kramer, said of his service. “He just was a very giving person and proud of his service.”
Following his time in the military, Kramer met his wife Joan in 1956 at Stella D’Oro Italian Restaurant in Kew Garden Hills. The two were married for 69 years and raised their children, Lynn and Mitch, in the home they built in East Norwich in 1965.
Throughout his life, his daughter said Kramer embodied the values of self-reliance, hard work and generosity. He ran several businesses, including a chain of dry cleaners in Queens and Great Neck, and later a fiberglass factory in Staten Island.
Even after a fire destroyed the factory, Kramer remained resilient, eventually finding a home at Pergament Home Centers, where he worked for over three decades. Starting as personnel director, he quickly rose to vice president.
But more than his title, his daughter said it was his philosophy of giving others a chance that defined his impact.
“My dad had changed so many people’s lives because he was very innovative,” Lynn said, “and he was a very big believer in giving people chances to succeed where maybe other people might not have given them a chance.”
Kramer also instilled the value of entrepreneurship and responsibility in his children.
“If there’s anything you want, you have to work for it in order to get it,” Lynn recalled her father saying. “He taught us about record keeping, writing receipts, how to build things and fix things ourselves.”
That business spirit carried into a family woodworking venture, where the Kramers crafted chess boards, terrariums and wood toys, eventually selling at flea markets and even Fortunoff’s in Westbury. Kramer kept small handmade wooden cars in his car to give to well-behaved children in restaurants as surprise gifts, one of many acts of quiet kindness that defined his life.
“He would literally give the shirt off his back if somebody needed it,” Lynn said. “Every winter he’d go up and down the street clearing snow off everybody’s driveways before even doing his own.”
In retirement, Kramer’s favorite pastimes included spending time with his family and visiting casinos to play poker. Even after his cancer diagnosis in 2016, he maintained a positive attitude and appreciation for the care he received.
He is survived by his wife Joan, daughter Lynn, son Mitch, daughter-in-law Donna, and granddog Dottie.
