Robert William “Bob” Jorgensen passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026, at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), at the age of 84 after a short illness. His chosen family was by his side.
Bob was born in Montreal on June 14, 1941, to Irma Bull and William Henry Jorgensen. An only child long since predeceased by his parents, he lived his entire life in the city he loved.
He took special pride in having worked on the construction of the Montreal Olympic Stadium. For him, it was more than a job; it was a way of helping to write a page of history in concrete and steel. He later spent many years with Algoma Central Corporation, maintaining the engines of ships that sailed the Great Lakes. He loved the vastness of the water, the camaraderie and the long stretches of solitude aboard. Those quiet hours gave him time to read (especially history) and to let his mind roam.
Bob entered our family quietly and stayed for good. When Jeff was a boy playing hooky at the billiard hall, Bob noticed him and took him under his wing. What began as conversation over a pool table became guidance, then something like fatherhood. In time he came to board with Nancy, and a rented room turned into a permanent place at the table. He was not family by blood, but by choice—and by love.
He became a father figure to Nancy’s children, Terry, Jeff, and Wendy, and a surrogate grandfather to their children, Alon, Orry, Jordan, Tamar, Daniel, Lawson, Douglas, and Nolan. In Nancy’s later years, he stood alongside her children in caring for her with patience and devotion.
Bob was jovial, quick with a joke, and generous with his time. He enjoyed his friends from Blue Bonnets and, later, the OTB, where laughter and stories were always close at hand. Though he rarely spoke of his own childhood or family and carried that part of his life quietly, he gave abundantly of himself to those around him. His sparkling curiosity, kindness, and steadfast presence will resonate through those he leaves behind.
A memorial service will be held at home in the coming weeks. Details will be shared with family and friends at a later date.
He will be deeply missed and remembered with gratitude and affection.
