I am the Duchess to his Duke. I am the bare white neck to his Dracu. I am his first sister, nemesis and confidante. A soft landing and hard lesson. There was so much poetry in this tragic man.

Deep deep gratitude to each of you who has written here...Brother Carl, remembering our dear Robby year after year...Tommy, Gary, my darling Ko...gosh, your words mean so much to me still. Thank you. Alessandra

I  can't believe that it has been three years already. Remembering Robbie in my thoughts and prayers. "May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace, AMEN."
Brother Carl Bouchereau, S.C.  Teacher at Brother Martin High School

I worked for Robbie at Cafe Panache at the time of the World's Fair in New Orleans. He was a great owner and host at the venue. We got along very well.
I admired his dedication and work ethic,\. He made customers and employees feel important. He and his Mother booked fantastic music acts also. I was a grateful recipient of his generous nature. He was a true friend.
Tommy Taylor-New Orleans-504-444-6106-bozono1957@yahoo.com

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since Robby's passing. I miss our phone calls, Christmas greetings, catching up on life, knowing that he is well and that family is still most important in his life...and now he is at peace.
Rest in peace, dear friend, rest in peace. "May your soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace, Amen."
9th grade religion teacher at Brother Martin High School, New Orleans, La

Happy birthday, dad.

To Robby's three children: Alexander, Ariana, and Austin,
    It is very difficult to lose a parent (and a friend), especially a parent who was so very young of age and heart. I want to extend to you my deepest sympathies; know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. 
   Your dad thought so much of you and spoke of you often.  I enjoyed keeping up with you through his eyes.
   I invite you to take some comfort knowing where he is and with whom he is now sharing his heart. My he rest in peace, AMEN. 
Brother Carl

Dear Mr. Roberto, Kasia, Ronny, Stephen, Roxanne, Alessandra, Christopher, and Tiffany,
    Allow me to extend to you my deepest sympathies on the passing of my former student and friend of 48 years, Robert D. Assaf, II.
    We have remained in contact with each over all these years either by phone, email, Christmas card, or whatever. Time allowed us to keep in touch; geography was not an issue. We informed each other of the highlights in each of our lives. It was like we spoke weekly, but in reality it was two or three times a year. I will miss our "visits."
    I am thankful to Alex and Tiffany for giving me the opportunity to speak with Robby the day before he died. Thank you Alex for the commentary as we spoke... telling me of his smile as he recognized my voice. Thanks too to Tiffany for the research in finding me and making the contact for me to phone the hospital. I am happy that I had the opportunity to say good bye, even though I did not realize it at that time. I am also happy to have had the opportunity to pray with Robby Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd," as well some traditional Catholic prayers he would have recognized from our religion classroom prayers,  way back in the '70s. Thank you,
    And now, life goes on. I know where he is, who he is with, and more smiles abound...hence, my consolation. "May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. AMEN."

YES, rest in peace, Robby, rest in peace!

Brother Carl

Robert and I met some 40 years ago when he was with Merrill Lynch. About the time I started to tinker in the stock market and we argued constantly over the reasons to buy Penny stocks, which I loved. His wisdom prevailed and I backed down
For whatever the reason I Liked Robert, really. We, in his and my mind we were like brothers. He traveled to New Orleans to celebrate my 90th birthday, so wouldn't that be classified as a Friend/Brother.
GOD SPEED ROBERT. YOU WILL LIKELY SIT HIGH AND NEAR OUR CREATOR.

Words fail me. This is too raw, too great a loss to accept. Another leaf has fallen off of the Golden Tree, & that brings such sorrow. I loved Robby ~ he was an elixir, truly he was. Popped up in life to offer a swig of himself, at JUST the moment someone needed it, needed him. I want to scream for months and not stop, i am so angry at the life force i put stock in, that took another piece of my love, away from this Earth, too soon. I have never read a more ‘love imbued’ tribute than the memorial written here about Robby, and he would be so very touched by this homage. A cousin who i came to truly know only in the adult years, Robby’s essence & flow were easy on the heart & soul. You knew him instantly, & he knew you. I will always remember a very meaningful quote i posted on FB years back, from a movie i’ve always loved, but frankly don’t think many people are as familiar with to be able to identify the quote. Sure enough, within the hour of my posting, Robby pops up with the name of the movie & sends me a YouTube link to my favorite scene. It took a genuine aficionado of that film, to appreciate my reference, & just as we would never fail to send each other happy FB birthday wishes, he continued to occasionally send over a song link or a movie suggestion he thought might interest me. While he was not a part of the original ‘AWA’ encounter (only a few Assaf sibs know of this reference), i did regale him with it’s significance at a family reunion once, & he told me he was sorry he’d missed out. What a privilege it was knowing Robby, & i’ll always associate him with tremendous passion, sentimentality & fervor. The bookends are reunited once more, & Evy never has to let go.

Hug Bruce for me

Posted by Ko Koedijk on October 7, 2020
Robert Assaf, how I met you for the first time in New Orleans, in your office of a big financial institute as my (very first) financial advisor. You were the man who, I knew immediately, could do the job. And Alessandra realized that a close relation between her beloved brother Robby and me was born. As I always was adventurous, I was looking forward to working with Robby on my portfolio. But soon I noticed that money was not my real business and I felt save leaving that hassle to my B.I.L...My Brother In Law: Robert Assaf. For over twenty years Robby took very well care of my precious assets and until tomorrow and the days after I can rely on his skills…He set such wise wheels in motion.
As we were close family, I would also get to know Robby as a family man and a father and I was impressed by the fact how he loved his children, telling them how great they were and how thoughtful he was about their future...
I shall miss you Bro, today and in the near future...Rest In Peace B.I.L.

From Leo Tandecki:
Robby was the first of a long list of amazing Siblings. His Spirit, love and passion for life could be seen reflected in each of his younger seven Siblings, but none more than Tiffany who was in a way raised and adored by her God Father Brother Robby.
His own children are the shining examples of the loving support and empowerment that bestowed upon them to each grow into equally amazing individuals.
He always brought and stirred up the best energy with his charisma and charm, and while his presence will be sorely missed his Spirit will continue to guide and inspire each of us who knew him to Fight to the end and always strive to accomplish more!
Love you Robby!

Today, October 4th, is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.

I remember so many years ago, 1973 maybe, when Robby piled a bunch of us into his ramshackle, VW convertible bug with the NO NUKES sticker on its bumper. It was one of those exciting, spontaneous moments Robby was so good at creating. I hadn't known I was going to be whisked off to the cinema until the very moment I was! Probably seven of us crammed in, elbows in ribcages, bony knees pressed against bony bottoms...Robby treated us to Franco Zefferelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon. While the critics may have panned the film, I loved it! Everything looked so beautiful to me; just the way I thought the world should be. I think I'll watch it again tonight. I believe it's on Amazon Prime. Join me? Robby so loved St. Francis, what he stood for, and all his words of wisdom.

I met Robby 39 years ago. His brother Stephen, who I’d met as a music student at UNO, introduced us at the Assaf family home on Spencer Ave in Lakeview. His young bookend brother Jonathan was hopping on the sofa, giggling and singing some self-composed ditty while his doting mother Evy looked on. Robby then began complaining, albeit with a glint in his eye, about how he, being the first born, had to endure being the guinea pig for his parents exploratory reprimands whereas Jonathan received full clemency.

I recall the day that Alexander was born and Robby’s beaming pride shining through the thick cigar smoke. I also recall seeing the same pride years later when he introduced me to his young daughter Ariana. I hope to meet Austin one day and get a glimpse of his father again.

One time, I had an airline ticket to Germany that I was unable to take advantage of due to school. Robby encouraged me to go anyway despite school, telling me that travel to Europe would be better than going to class. He eagerly told me of his trip there with his father and how amazing it was and thereby planted the seed in me to visit Europe one day. I did. And I’m still here. He was right.

I never spent as much time with Robby as I did with his siblings. He was older and had more responsibilities, both as a father and business owner, than the others who were still in school at the time. But in the past ten years or so since Facebook arrived, Robby and I had much more contact, sharing our love of music, Europe and, a phenomenon from my neck of the woods, the Aurora Borealis. I would send him pictures I had taken and he commented on how he would love to see them live. I gave him a standing invitation to come and see the real thing. Due to this back and forth discussion of the Aurora every winter I have a habit of thinking of Robby every time I see them. A week ago, they appeared for the first time this fall in a rather intense display. Robby would dig this, I thought.

On behalf of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Alumni Association and Brother Martin High School, I offer our prayers and condolences. We will say a Mass in his memory.

Father of all, we pray to you for Robert, and for all those whom we love but see no longer. Grant to them eternal rest. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Kenny Spellman ’84
Brother Martin High School