Robert Garmirian ’71

Robert (Bob) Edwin Garmirian of Amherst, MA died at his home on August 25, 2021 after a 2 -year battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 72.

The son of Rachel and Edwin Garmirian, Bob was born in New York City on March 27, 1949. He lived in Bayside and Douglaston, Queens until 1972 when his family relocated to Montrose, New York.

Bob s love of adventure and passion for the outdoors was evident at an early age, and sharing it with others would be his life s work. As a child, many of his most cherished experiences were as a camper and then counselor at Deerfoot Lodge in Speculator, N.Y.

Bob attended Hope College and graduated from Franconia College, where he majored in Outdoor Education. He then began his career at Albuquerque Academy and The White Mountain School in Littleton, N.H. In 1979, Bob became the Director of Athletics and Outdoor Programs at Hampshire College, where he would stay for over 35 years, until his retirement in 2015. Bob climbed extensively in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, guiding, training, and sharing this love with friends, family, and students.

Bob will be most remembered for being a wonderful father and grandfather. His delight and constant love for his daughters, and the way his eyes lit up when he talked about them, will live forever. He will be remembered for his kindness, his adventurous and bright spirit, his wonderful sense of humor, and the care and compassion he shared with his family and friends. He touched so many lives as he guided, listened to, and mentored the people he loved. He leaves a legacy of loving deeply, creating and conquering new challenges, and teaching others how to create and enjoy new adventures.

Bob is survived by his wife, Patricia and daughters, Jennifer (Brendan Childs), Lindsay (Scotty Kniaz), and their children Abigail Rose (5) and Theodore Edwin (2). Bob is survived by his brothers Paul (Camille), James (Barbara), and his nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his sister Dawn who died in 2002