Robert P. Vernon Sr., 80, of Pembroke, passed away at Elliot Hospital on Saturday, September 7, 2024. He was born in Malden, Massachusetts, on April 5, 1944, and was the son of Robert Vernon and Mary (Manning) Alves, both deceased. Bob grew up on Autumn St in Lynn, Massachusetts with his Mother, Mary, and step-father, Johnny Alves. His childhood home was next door to the Brickett School, and he loved reminiscing about how he would climb the fence from his porch and jump into the schoolyard to start his days in elementary school. He remembered his Lynn neighborhood and friends with great affection for the rest of his life. As a young man, his friends called him "Funzo." He also grew up near Lynn Beach and remembered fondly walking there to hang out with friends. He would return to his neighborhood and Lynn Beach to reconnect with that childhood sense of home, joy, and peace for the rest of his life. He spent many summers of his childhood enjoying the sun and water at Long Pond in Dracut, Mass with his mother, stepfather, and sister. As a young man in the early 1960s, he was a soda jerk at Crown Drug before enlisting at 17 and serving honorably in the U.S. Army, mainly in Germany. Upon discharge, he returned to his hometown, where he met and married his first wife, Ronna Hamelin, in July 1965. That marriage produced two sons, Robert, Jr (Bobby) in July 1966 and Mike in May of 1977. He passed on many of his best qualities and life passions to his boys, including a love of music to his son, Bobby, and a love of soccer to his son, Mike. During many of those years, he was active in protesting nuclear power with The Clamshell Alliance, loved working on his VW Beetle, and played softball with friends. Bob's professional life played out in two significant chapters. He was a ramp serviceman for Eastern Airlines, mostly at Boston Logan Airport, for over ten years. In the early 1980s, after realizing he needed a career with more meaning, he took a leap of faith and moved into the human services field. He eventually became a caseworker for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. This was an impressive achievement for a man with no college degree, and it speaks to the depth of his care for and commitment to helping others. In 1996, another (and most important) chapter began when he fell in love with Peg, the great love of his life and the woman he would remain deeply devoted to for the rest of his life. Bob and Peg's relationship would be a model of love and commitment for all who had the good fortune of witnessing them together. For a few years, Bob and Peg initially told everyone that they probably wouldn't marry because "who needs a piece of paper to declare their commitment?" But their families, who saw their love, joy, and deep passion for each other, suspected there would be a different outcome. On September 21, 2002, Bob and Peg were married in Cape Cod, surrounded by their community of loving family and friends. Their wedding weekend was an authentically joyous celebration for all who attended. During their honeymoon in Ireland (a lifelong dream for both), Bob met members of his Mother's family who emigrated to the United States, and he became a proud dual citizen of Ireland and the United States. Peg and Bob enjoyed all things Ireland, and he especially enjoyed the occasional "taste" of Jameson because of that connection to what he considered his homeland. In 2004, the couple moved to the North End of Boston, a life that appealed profoundly to both of them, especially to Bob, who had loved city life since childhood. During those years, they didn't own a car and just walked everywhere. They loved to stop in at the local grocer on the walk home from work to buy dinner ingredients they would cook together, often hosting family and friends for long dinners filled with love and laughter at home or in some of the finest Italian restaurants in Boston. After retirement in 2012, the couple moved to Pembroke, NH, in 2013, where they would live out the rest of his days living next door to their four beautiful grandchildren. Bob and Peg enjoyed taking long, adventurous drives into the mountains or wherever the road took them, and they loved music, all things Irish, great food, and mostly, they shared a love of each other and family and friends. In addition to his lifelong roles as husband, father, son, and brother, Bob's most treasured nicknames were Dad, Pops, Pop, and Gramps. Bob is survived by his beloved wife: Margaret "Peg" (Driscoll) Vernon; his two sons: Robert P. Vernon Jr. and his partner Stacey Barlow; Michael Vernon and his wife Martha Moreno-Linares; his wife Peg's two children: Sister Danielle Gagnon, RSM, Michael Gagnon and his wife Jackie; his sister: Susan Pallini and her husband Romolo; and Steven, Michael, Lily, Ella known and loved by them as Gramps; and many nieces and nephews. And arguably, most importantly, his beautiful cat, Gus. A graveside service with military honors, a fitting tribute to Bob's service in the U.S. Army, will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at NH State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Hwy., Boscawen, at 10 AM. The Roan Family Funeral Home in Pembroke has assisted the family with the arrangements, ensuring a respectful and dignified service. Instead of flowers, please make memorial donations to your favorite organization that provides housing for people experiencing homelessness. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.roanfamilyfuneral.com.