We were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Siarkowski. Robert “Bob” Siarkowski, 82, of the Plantsville section of Southington, passed away on Sunday May 12, 2019 at the Hospital of Central CT New Britain Campus. He was the husband of Anita (LeBlanc.

Bob was born on July 18, 1936 in Wanamie, PA, the son of the late Peter and Rose (Martinell) Siarkowski. He was the owner oper- ator of Bob’s Music Center for 65 years. In addition to hi wife Anita of over 50 years, he is survived by his two sons, Scot Siarkowski and wife Patricia of Plantsville and Bret Siarkowski of MA, four grandchildren Sara Ciantar, Peter, Jonathan and Nicholas Siarkowski, two great-grandchildren Jessica and Brianna Siarkowski and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

The Funeral was held on Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 9:15 am from the DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St., Southing- ton to the Immaculate Conception Church, 130 Summer St., Plantsville. Burial was in The Immaculate Conception Cemetery. For online condolences please visit www.dellavecchiafh.com

“Bob and Anita Siarkowski frequently entertained at numerous AAA events, especially the Val-Taro Reunions at Magnanini Winery in Wallkill, New York. Their festive, matching attire always added a “sparkle” to their performances. Most recently, the duo performed at the AMAS evemt in New Jersey. Bob was an out- standing musician and a fantastic dancer. He and his lovely wife, Anita, could be seen at almost any function that featured dancing, “skipping the light fandango” and completely enamored with each other.” Linda Soley Reed, AAA Past Pres. American Accordionists Association.

About Bob Siarkowski: Some say that “The family that plays together stays together” It worked for Bob and me. We met through the accordion, eventu- ally playing as a duet at our own wedding and 50th anniversary. I’d like to share some sentiments about my husband of nearly 57 years, the LATE Bob Siarkowski. Did I say LATE? I should have said “the EARLY Bob Siarkowski”! One of Bob’s pet peeves was being late for anything. He was always an hour ahead of time. True to form, Bob left us EARLY Sunday morning May 12th.

He’s probably playing accordion in heaven right now with the angel band, to the tune of, “In Heaven There Ain’t No Beer”. Bob died on Mother’s Day, apropos …Because of Bob, I’m the mother of our two wonderful sons, Scot and Bret. Bret stayed by his Dad’s side day and night from the tie of his hospital admission thru Bob’s final hour. Scot will be providing the music for Bob’s funeral mass, along with his wife Patty, plus the rest of the folk group which Scot originated at age 16 and directed for 40 years.

Bob had the gift of music. He was blessed with perfect pitch able to identify the key a song was written in after hearing the first few notes. His passion for the accordion began at age 7, inspired by his Uncle Louis who played at family gatherings. Times were tough back in the 1940s and 1950s in the coal mining region of eastern Pennsylvania. Bob’s Dad worked in the mines, barely mak- ing a living wage. His Mom contributed by taking in laundry from Galli’s Restaurant. At one point, Bob’s family was evicted from their apartment, unable to pay the rent. Their furniture was confis- cated by the landlord, so they moved in with Bob’s grandparents. No way could Bob’s parents afford accordion lessons for him.

Bt Bob was determined to make it work, reflective of his father’s favorite song, “I Did It My Way” – which pretty much defines his life. From the age of 7, Bob walked two miles round-trip from home to the railroad tracks and ‘picked coal’, salvaging chunks that had fallen from freight trains. If they were too heavy to lift, he’d hammer them into smaller pieces, filling 2 huge burlap bags. This supplied sufficient fuel to cook and heat the house for one day. He did this 5 days a week while the coal mines were operat- ing. The significant savings enabled Bob’s parents to pay for his accordion lessons.

Music was Bob’s lifelong livelihood. Bob’s professional career began at age 15 as accordionist for “The Wanderers” dance band. Bob would turn the proceeds over to his parents. At 16, Bob began giving accordion lessons and playing with several local bands, eventually forming his own- “The Bobby-Lou Orchestra.

Bob graduated from Southington High at age 17 and opened his own full-time music teaching business 3 months later at age 18 – Bob’s Accordion Studio in Plantsville center. From 1966 to the present, he taught at Bob’s
Music Center at 360 Summer Street, Plantsville. He loved to dance, tell jokes, funny stories, pull pranks, and surprise me in various ways. You could always depend on him to come up with beautiful greeting cards, which I will never part with. Bob enjoyed being his own boss so he could come and go at will. We shared so many memorable events, trips, polka weekends, etc. We always enjoyed performing as an accordion duet in several states and 2 Canadian provinces.

Once asked when he would retire from teaching, Bob said “I have no intention of ever stopping. I plan on playing and teaching until the day I stop breathing!“ And the beat went on as he kept his word doing just that.
May you rest in peace. Your Loving Wife, Anita