Robert David Marcus

Robert David Marcus was born in New York City on August 3,1949 to Morris Marcus and Dorothy (Perper) Marcus. He was raised in the Stuyvesant Town neighborhood of Manhattan, where he learned to talk fast and walk faster. With a brilliant mind and love of learning, Bob skipped the third grade and later went to SUNY Binghamton to earn his bachelor’s degree in economics and one of the first master’s degrees in computer science. Bob spent most of his career as a software engineer at AT&T’s Bell Labs, and later self-studied bioinformatics and was hired to contribute to the Human Genome Project. Though he was a hard worker, Bob never missed the chance to have a good time. He had a favorite saying: “If you remember the 60s, you weren’t there,” but has the ticket to prove he was at Woodstock in ’69.

After school, Bob adventured to Geneva, Switzerland to work for the World Health Organization where he met the lovely Liverpudlian who would become his wife of 47 years. Carol Anne Elliott turned Bob down for a date several times before realizing that he just might be someone special. They celebrated the 49th anniversary of their first date — known as “Big Snow Day” — on February 4th. The couple lived in Nebraska and England before settling in Merrimack, NH to raise their two children.

Bob was a man of many interests. He read widely, adoring classic sci-fi and modern neuroscience. As a lover of language, he published crossword puzzles, contributed to the OED, and spoke French. He was a wonderful cook, enjoyed travelling the world with his wife, and could comment on any situation with a Seinfeld quote. He was loved by everyone he met for his genuine nature, curious mind, and absurd sense of humor. Bob had lived with Parkinson’s Disease since 2010 and passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on February 5, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Carol; his son, Philip; his daughter, Erica; his son-in-law, Nico; and his one-year-old granddaughter, Norah. They all miss him, and his nonsequitous fish references, terribly.

Services will be held on Sunday, February 16 at Rivet Funeral Home, 425 Daniel Webster Hwy, Merrimack, NH with visitation from 12 Noon to 1 PM and a memorial service to follow in the funeral home chapel.

We’ll invite anyone who would like to share memories of Bob to speak at the service.

A celebration of life will immediately follow at the John O’Leary Adult Community Center, 4 Church St, Merrimack.

Donations in his name may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

For long you live and high you fly

And smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry

And all you touch and all you see

Is all your life will ever be

– Breathe (In the Air), Pink Floyd

Kindly visit rivetfuneralhome.com to leave an online condolence for the family.