Robert Ellis Bergmann, who split his time between Cape Cod and Connecticut, died suddenly but peacefully at his home in Somers, Conn. on July 24, 2025. His wife, Gloria, was with him. The cause was cardiac arrest. He was 82.
Bob was born in West Springfield on May 14, 1943 to the late John and Dorothy (Tudor) Bergmann. His love of adventure took him around the world; his generous spirit and infectious laugh defined him and pulled others into his orbit.
Music was the focus of many adventures, including visits to the Blue Note jazz club in New York City and the Newport Folk Festival.
The family visited six of the seven continents, including expeditions to New Orleans, Easter Island, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos, Egypt, Patagonia, Croatia, Cappadocia, and Australia, safaris in Botswana and Zimbabwe, and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. Bob’s favorite movies were the Indiana Jones films — and one journey took the family on donkey-back to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan.
He had a knack for spotting opportunities, and he famously loved and owned too many cars. Once while visiting the West Coast, he saw a zippy convertible for sale. He spontaneously purchased it and drove it back home across the country.
That same instinct served Bob well in business. An entrepreneur at heart, Bob began specializing in sound sales, eventually holding the top sales spot for Sony USA. He later worked at Pitney Bowes. In his spare time, he renovated houses in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. He taught his children how to spot and renovate properties, and working together they built his business and many memories.
He loved Chatham and the Outer Cape, and the family spent many hours on the Truro flats and kayaking in Pleasant Bay.
He is survived by his wife, Gloria, of Chatham and Somers, Conn.; his son Kyle; his son John of Chatham; his daughter, Ann; his brother, Lawrence; and many nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 3 at Forastiere Smith Funeral & Cremation, 220 North Main St., East Longmeadow. Burial will be private burial.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Preservation Hall in New Orleans or the Shriners Hospital in Springfield
