Robert A. (Bob) Van Cleef

Robert A. (Bob) Van Cleef of Greenport, N.Y. passed away at home on Nov. 21, 2023, at the age of 87.

He was born in Queens, N.Y., to Clifford and Cecelia (Bassett) Van Cleef on Feb. 15, 1936.

Raised in Hollis, Queens, Bob was educated at The McBurney School in Manhattan. He was a proud graduate of Grove City College (Grove City, Pa.) where he won awards in track and field. Later, he attended The College of Insurance in New York.

Bob served in the U.S. Army in the Transportation Division at Fort Eustis, Va., winning medals for marksmanship, sharpshooting and good conduct. He spent an additional six years in the Army Reserve, stationed at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey.

He married Lettie Luellen White, whom he met at Hollis Presbyterian Church, in April of 1962. Together, they raised two daughters, Kathleen and Christine, in their home in West Islip. Bob worked for the Wesfair Insurance Agency in Manhattan (and later Chappaqua) for 42 years.

They were both very active in Westminster United Presbyterian Church in West Islip.

Bob and Lettie retired to Orient in 2001, after having spent many happy summer vacations there.

Sadly, Lettie died of cancer in 2003.

In 2004, Bob married Ann Abbate Sutton, who had been serving the Orient Congregational Church as a seminary student. The congregation had invited Ann to become their settled pastor, and the wedding and ordination took place on the same day. Bob and Ann traveled the world together and served the Orient church as devoted layperson and pastor for an additional 15 years. Currently, they serve the First Presbyterian Church of Greenlawn.

In addition to serving God and traveling, Bob adored fly fishing, sailing and gardening. He was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Greenport. He was a devoted Mets fan, but never gave up hoping that his beloved Dodgers would one day return to Brooklyn.

Bob is survived by his wife, the Rev. Dr. Ann Van Cleef; his daughters Dr. Kathleen Van Cleef Toedt (Steve Cohen), Christine Van Cleef (Billy Berliner); and stepson Philip Sutton (Meaghen Cranney). He is also survived by grandchildren Christian Van Cleef, Alexander Toedt and Brieanna Toedt; as well as his brother Donald E. Van Cleef (Mina Merle); his best friends Richard Stumpf and Norma and Todd Danielson; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

The family will receive friends on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 11 and 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. Burial with military honors will take place in the family plot at Orient Central Cemetery on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 9 a.m. A memorial service will occur at the First Presbyterian Church of Greenlawn, 497 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn, N.Y., on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at noon.

Memorial donations may be made to any of the following churches, all of which Bob served faithfully as a layperson: Westminster United Presbyterian Church in West Islip, Orient Congregational Church, Baiting Hollow Congregational Church or the First Presbyterian Church of Greenlawn.

Many thanks to Horton-Mathie Funeral Home, who assisted the family. 

This is a paid notice.