During a brief but heartfelt ceremony at Newtown Senior Center, a beloved member of the center was memorialized 19 months after his death.

Friends gathered in the lounge of the senior center on a recent Monday afternoon, where they remembered Robert Sharpe. A frequent visitor to the center when it was on Riverside Road, Sharpe died in April 2020 at the age of 81. Due to COVID, however, only a small graveside service was planned at the time.

Friends and fellow senior center members gathered on November 15 in a lounge at the senior center to remember Sharpe. The celebration also included the dedication of a card table with removable top that encourages puzzle assembly, which was said to be one of Sharpe’s favorite pastimes.

Newtown Human Services Director Natalie Jackson thanked those who joined the gathering.

“We knew people would want to come and honor Bob,” she said. “It is so nice to see so many here.”

Jackson met Sharpe, she said, on her first day of the job, two years ago.

“He was always smiling,” she recalled. “I knew I had met someone good. He was a constant presence at the senior center, and always made people feel welcome.”

Sharpe continued his visits with the opening of the new Newtown Senior Center in July 2019.

“I wish he could have enjoyed this new home a little longer,” Jackson said.

Monsignor Robert Weiss, pastor of St Rose, offered a prayer.

He then called Sharpe “a man of incredible faith, who never missed Church no matter what was going on.”

Sharpe was also “incredibly devoted to his wife,” Weiss added. Lesley Sharpe predeceased her husband. Weiss and First Selectman Dan Rosenthal both noted the four years without his wife were challenging for Bob Sharpe.

“He missed his late wife dearly,” Rosenthal said. Nevertheless, the first selectman added, Sharpe did continue his routines and spreading good cheer.

“He had his daily rituals. He started most days at Newtown Deli, and would then head toward the senior center,” said Rosenthal, drawing nods and chuckles from the group. Lunch or dinner would be enjoyed at Pizza Palace.

“He was always encouraging, with a positive word for everyone,” Rosenthal said. “I know he loved everyone he came into contact with.”

Quiet conversations among those seated in the lounge affirmed what was being stated. There were mentions of “good man,” “good friend” and “always so nice” overheard.

Hours spent at the puzzle table at Newtown Senior Center led to the decision by the Commission on Aging (COA) to honor Sharpe. Former COA Chair and Newtown Senior Center member Anna Wiedemann said she would often visit the center with her grandchildren in tow. Sharpe would often be assembling a puzzle, and welcomed the young helpers into the fold.

“He was always so kind to them,” she said of her late friend. “To this day they still like to do puzzles because of him.”

The puzzle/card table will be placed into one of the smaller senior center games rooms, Wiedemann said.

A plaque was affixed to one side of the table so that anyone using it will know that it honors Sharpe. The plaque reads: “In Grateful Appreciation To / Robert “Bob” Sharpe / For Your Unwavering Dedication To Newtown Senior Center / April 14, 2020 / You Will Be Greatly Missed!”

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Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.