Robert Clinton Card, 94, of Old Saybrook died Sunday, May 10, 2020 at Bride Brook Nursing Home in Niantic.
He was born in Willimantic Ct, the son of Alfred and Ida Belle (Adams) Card. Living in South Windham, he attended the one room elementary school house for the first thru fifth grades. In fifth grade, Bob started taking piano lessons and continued for two years. He attended Natchaug Elementary School in Willimantic by traveling from South Windham on the CT Company Trolly Car. It was after sixth grade that Bob’s father bought a dairy farm and moved the family to Lebanon where Bob went on to graduate from Lyman Memorial HS. While living on the farm, Bob learned how to drive the milk trucks and made regular trips throughout CT to the dairy farms filling his tanker with milk and delivering it to the dairies.
At 12 Bob started taking clarinet lessons and progressed to saxophone when he was 13. His brother Al, a trumpet player and 6 years older, got Bob into a band at the age of 15. Bob played 3rd alto at that time and had to join the musicians union in order to play in bands. Al’s words of wisdom were, “Sit down, play your part and above all LISTEN” .
They went on to form the Card Brothers Orchestra, playing locally 4-5 nights a week.
At 17, Bob learned to fly a plane. He got his private pilot’s license at 19 and just for “something to do” flew a Piper Cub to Florida. When he returned he got his commercial pilots license and flew charter trip throughout New England.
In the 1950’s Bob auditioned and joined the 1st Army Band at Governors Island in NY City. He would often recount stories of laying in his bunk and being able to see the Statue of Liberty.
In 1955 he was sent to Korea with the Band and spent 15 months on duty there. Upon entering the ship, he told those in charge that he was with the band. Rather than scrape and paint the ship all the way across the ocean, he and a few others, played music and entertained the officers.
He returned stateside with 9 months to go in the Army Band. When he completed his enlistment, he auditioned for the Coast Guard Band and served for 22 years, retiring as a Senior Chief. During his tenure in the CG Band he played all over the United States and for 5 Presidents: Kennedy, Inauguration and Funeral) Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter. He recalls Kennedy’s inauguration. Washington DC was hit by a big snow storm and Pennsylvania Ave was cleared with flame throwers for the parade. When the band turned the corner off of the parade route, they were in snow up to their knees.
He retired from the band in 1980 and played locally 3-4 nights a week while driving 40 hours a week for Southeast Area Transit bus company.
After retiring from SEAT he continued playing with local bands: Dick Campo Band, Waterford Concert Band, The Internationals, The Norwich Concert Band, Silver Cornet Band, The George Manstan Big Band, String of Pearls, Heartbeat Jazz Band and The Freight Train, which has played at the Griswold Inn for 34 years. Notably, Bob played a tribute to Duke Ellington on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center and with Linda Eder at her Mohegan Sun concert.
He is survived by his beloved partner, Marcia Wise Moore, his daughter Christy Card Toppa, son in law Peter Toppa, and his two granddaughter’s Allison Adams Toppa and Danielle Marie Toppa. He is predeceased by his parents and brother Alfred Edward Card.
Private burial with full military honors will be held in the family plot in Windham Center Cemetery.
A lover of many four legged friends including his buddies Brandy, Penny, BJ, Abby and Theo, donations may be made in his memory to the ASPCA or American Humane Society.
To share a message of condolence or remembrance with his family, please click the link below.