Robert Guinta, Sr. ("Bob") passed away at the age of 94 on Feb. 1, 2025, just forty-eight days after his beloved bride of 68 years, Shirley, died of a stroke. Sadly, Bob suffered from dementia in his latter days and became co-dependent on Shirley, so losing his other half made him confused, lonely, and heartbroken. He lost his will to live and just wanted to be with Shirley again, for eternity.

Bobby, as his mother called him, was born on April 13, 1930 of Italian immigrants (Paul and Florence) who came to Ellis Island from Italy. Bobby was born and raised in Jamestown, NY, as one of five siblings: Genevieve (Jay), Rosalie (Ro),Carl (Carm) and Russel (Ray). Ro had Down syndrome and never learned to read, write or speak. His family was poor and had no car. Bobby had to share a bed with his two brothers.

Bob attended Jamestown High School where, not surprisingly, he was voted best dancer of his senior class and selected as a first team All-Star on the league's basketball team. Bob was a natural athlete, lettering and excelling in basketball and baseball. He had such a great arm as a centerfielder that the NY Yankees recruited him to try out for the team at Yankee Stadium. Impressively, he made the first round of cuts, but he couldn't find a ride to the second round, so he lost out on the chance of a lifetime. Bob was a die-hard Yankee fan!

After graduating from Jamestown H.S. in 1949, Bob was drafted by the armed forces and served in the Korean War from 1951 until the war ended in 1953. After his honorable discharge, he attended Marietta College on the GI Bill, where he played collegiate baseball, ran for President of the student body, served as Secretary of the Lambda Chi Fraternity and Editor in Chief for the Kappa Alpha Chronicle, and acted as Treasurer of The Newman Club, a Catholic club on campus. Bob met Shirley on a blind date. They became college sweethearts and said their vows on June 9, 1956, shortly after Shirley graduated and Bob finished his sophomore year.

Bob graduated from Marietta College in 1958 with a BA in history and education. Within a week of graduation, he landed his first job as the head basketball coach at St. Joseph's High School in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Within a month of graduation, Bob became a father. Shirley gave birth to three of their four children in five years while living in Wapakoneta: Robert Jr. (1958), Tracie (1960), and Kyle (1962). Their fourth child, David, was born in Elyria (1966).

In 1963, Bob was hired as the head coach of Celina Immaculate Conception H.S., where he led his team to the State Championship Finals in 1964. His team ended the year with an impressive 27-2 record, and Bob was named State Coach of the Year (UPI).

In 1966, he took his talents to Elyria Catholic H.S., where he built a basketball dynasty! He led his 1973 team to the State Championship Finals, ending the season with a 24-2 record, the best in school history. Bob remained at Elyria Catholic for 22 years as a coach and 29 years as a teacher. Bob retired from coaching in 1988 and from teaching in 1995, after devoting 30 years of service to coaching and 37 years to teaching, all in Catholic schools.

Bob's teams won 16 conference titles, 16 sectional titles, nine district titles and two regional titles. He was Coach of the Year 12 times in his 30-year coaching career. He was the recipient of the prestigious Paul Walker Award in 1988 and inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991.

Coaching was Bob's calling! Dating back to high school, Bob was a player-coach for the Boys & Girls Club, where his basketball team won the league championship all four years.

In college, he was the player-coach and safety for his Lambda Chi Fraternity's intramural football team. He loved sports, but he had a special passion for coaching basketball. He had a gift for seeing the floor and making adjustments to outcoach the competition. Bob ran a renowned diamond-and-one full-court press and change-up defense to perfection.

Bob was a legendary coach, a favorite teacher, and a loyal friend. The outpouring of love and affirmations for Bob are demonstrative of the indelible mark he left behind. Bob touched the hearts and impacted the lives of thousands of former players and students to whom he was more than just a teacher and coach; he was a mentor, role model, and inspiration! Everyone who knew him is a better person because of him.

Bob was so full of zest! He would wake up in a good mood and be cheerful throughout the day. He had an amazing personality and loved to socialize and interact with people. He would strike up a conversation with anyone, literally. Bob also had a passion for music, especially Frank Sinatra. He loved to sing and dance, and he was talented at both. He sang New York, New York at countless weddings.

Bob was an extraordinary human being – a product of his upbringing! Bob did not judge people by their intellect, speech, or other differences. Having a sister with special needs invariably had a profound impact on Bob's perception of the world and others. He saw life through a different lens. Bob cared about the things that matter most in life: relationships! He wasn't expressive about his faith, but he lived it out, more importantly, through love and kindness.

Nor was Bob motivated by money or materialism. He received multiple offers to coach basketball at the collegiate level, including opportunities to coach along side some of the greats, like Coach K and Bobby Knight before their time at Duke and Indiana, respectively, but Bob learned from his childhood that money doesn't buy happiness. Bob chose to work for 30 years in parochial schools with no pension plans. He valued the sense of community over monetary gain!

In closing, Bob loved his family unconditionally! He was a special husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather and great-grandfather to Shirley, two daughters-in-law, four children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, respectively. Every family member had a special bond and loving relationship with Bob. His joyful presence, sense of humor, and authentic love will be sadly missed but fondly remembered by all. Images of Bob in the summer, cleaning the pool in the mornings and shucking corn on the picnic table in the afternoons, will be forever etched in the minds of his kids and grandkids.

Bob is survived by his loving family: children: Tracie Roberson, Kyle Giunta (Amy) and David Giunta (Beth); grandchildren:  Kayla Wilson (Chris), Nick Giunta (Lauren), Hannah Conley (Brad), Sarah Roberson, Emily Roberson, Dylan Giunta, Kiana Giunta, Kamryn Giunta and Micah Giunta: and great grandchildren: Anson Giunta (Nick) and William Wilson (Kayla). Bob is preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, and son, Robert Jr.

A celebration of life for Bob will be held at Laubenthal Mercado Funeral Home, located at 38475 Chestnut Ridge Road, Elyria, OH on Sunday, February 16, 2025 between the hours of 1pm and 4 pm, where friends and family are invited to gather and honor in his memory. Mass will be held at St. Jude Church (509 Poplar St., Elyria, OH) at 10:30am on Monday, February 17, 2025. Burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery in Elyria, OH. Online condolences to the family may be expressed at www.laubenthalmercado.com or by email to davidgiunta@me.com.