Obituary of Robert Hickey

Robert E. Hickey, 60, of Rochester, passed away after a brief illness on April 30, 2021 at the University of Rochester Medicine Palliative Care Center at Strong Memorial Hospital. Calling hours will be Friday May 7th from 5:30-7:30pm at Dierna Funeral Home 2309 Culver Rd. Bob, as he was universally known, was born in Rochester to Peter B. and Margaret E. (Jones) Hickey on February 12, 1961. He graduated from Ithaca, NY, Senior High School. He went on to receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Monroe Community College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, and a Master of Science Degree in Education from Nazareth College, Rochester, NY. He attended several other colleges and universities and throughout his academic career maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average. With his wide-ranging education and an insatiable curiosity, Bob embarked on a career that wove together professional positions with a series of successful entrepreneurial ventures. He started as an officer with the Brighton Police Department, then worked as an investigator assigned to a Monroe County Drug Task Force until it was disbanded in the early 1990s. After leaving police work, Bob opened an animation artwork gallery called Out of the Inkwell, first in Rochester, then on Nantucket Island, MA. In the mid-1990s, Bob recognized the growing consumer interest in high-end cigars. Although never a smoker himself, Bob opened Hickey’s on Main Street in Pittsford, where he sold premium handmade cigars and accessories. After he received his Master of Science Degree in Education, Bob worked as an educator for the Webster Central School District, BOCES One in Fairport, and the Gananda Central School District. He also was a state-licensed professional driving instructor. Bob most recently worked as the Business Manager at Lifetime Assistance Inc., in Rochester, where he forged myriad relationships with area employers to secure job placements for the agency’s clients. He also founded Patent Press Greeting Cards, an award-winning boutique line of greeting cards featuring artwork that originally accompanied actual patent applications filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The venture provided Bob the opportunity to combine his gift of visual design with his sharp wit. He designed a special set of cards for the COVID-19 pandemic. One depicts the 1935 patented for the fame Battleship. Inside, the card says: After seeing this game, the president wondered, “Do you think we could have the Navy work from home?” Bob spent his final days arranging to leave the entire greeting card operation to Lifetime Assistance, Inc., to provide an in-house business in which the agency’s clients could work. Bob is survived by his wife, Anette (Stewart) Hickey of Rochester and two daughters, Caitlin Hickey of Rochester, and Shannon Hickey of New York City. He also is survived by four brothers and sisters; John Hickey and his wife Nancy of Danville, CA; Charles Hickey and his wife Jody of Brockton, MA.; Carolyn Hickey of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA.; and Katharine Happy and her husband Frederic of Clayton, CA, as well as 10 nieces and nephews and four great-nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made to: ▪ Pancreatic Cancer Society of Western New York, http://pcawny.org/, P.O. Box 24580, Rochester NY 14624-0580 ▪ Palliative Care Program – Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 278996, 300 E River Road, Rochester NY 14627 – www.urmc.rochester.edu/medicine/palliative-care/ - Please reference Unit 4-1200