Robert Codman Hanes, Jr. of West Roxbury, passed away on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at Brigham and Women's Hospital after a recurrence of lung cancer. He was known as “Coddie” to his family and “Bob” to his friends. Bob grew up in Boston’s West End with his mother Phyllis Hanes, a food editor and writer for the Boston Herald and the Christian Science Monitor. This would eventually inspire him to explore cooking and baking throughout his life. Bob enlisted in the army in 1966 and served in Vietnam for three years.
A gifted artist and woodworker, he went on to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1976 he married his wife Bonnie, a teacher in the Boston Public Schools, and they resided in West Roxbury with their two children, Melissa and Victoria. During this time he worked as a construction estimator and served as a project manager on numerous projects including the Big Dig.
In addition to his career, Bob pursued a variety of interests including art, acting, cooking, model ship-building, and designing stage sets for Riverside Theatreworks in Hyde Park. Bob had a remarkable talent for envisioning, designing, and executing his ideas. His beautifully crafted sets brought a number of musicals to life including, Carousel, Sideshow, and Mame. He was a member of the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild of New England and displayed his work in several exhibitions.
Bob was a devoted father who shared his creativity and curiosity with his two daughters. He both inspired and supported their pursuits of the visual and performing arts. Together they worked on projects from drawing and painting, to cooking and even building stage sets.
Bob became interested in acting in the 1980’s when he first appeared as an extra in the PBS American Masters Series Concealed Enemies. During his retirement he returned to acting and worked with Boston Casting appearing as an extra in several movies including Live By Night, Stronger, and Mall Cop, as well as the television series The Folklorist. He enjoyed being on movie sets and meeting and talking with other actors.
Bob will be remembered for his wry sense of humor, his creativity, and his kindness which knew no bounds. This is an enormous loss for his family and friends and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his loving wife Bonnie, daughters Melissa and Victoria, Victoria’s husband David Grinstead, grandchildren John Codman Grinstead, age two, newly born Penelope Quinn Grinstead and nieces Jennifer Roberts, Katie Folan, and Samantha Folan. A private service with military honors will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. A celebration of life is being planned for a later date in West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in the name of Robert Codman Hanes, Jr. to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/ Brigham and Women's Hospital whose wonderful team of doctors and nurses cared for him.