Robert S. Walin

Robert Stewart Walin, age 95, died peacefully on August 25, 2025 in Southport, CT at the Maplewood at Southport assisted living facility. He had previously lived in Darien, CT with his daughter and prior to that had been a long-time resident of Washington, CT.

Bob was born on October 8, 1929 to Frank Leonard and Kathleen Stewart Walin in the Bronx NY as their only child and grew up in Bellerose, Long Island. He graduated from The Choate School in Wallingford, CT and St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. While at St. Lawrence he was a member of the ATO fraternity and lettered in varsity football, baseball and hockey. He was a member of the undefeated SLU football team of 1950 and that year was named a Little All American. He was drafted and served as a U.S. Marine at Parris Island, SC before returning to St. Lawrence to finish his senior year in 1952. Growing up he spent summers fly fishing, hunting and camping in and around Rangeley, ME with his mother’s family and during college summers and for years afterwards he was a lifeguard at Jones Beach on Long Island.

After graduation, Bob worked as a real estate executive for Shell Oil on Long Island but after 13 years with Shell, he moved to Woodbury, CT with his young family to pursue his burgeoning interest in early American antiques—a town where his uncle had been a well-established dealer. Bob went on to become a respected antique dealer and collector himself known for his knowledge of the provenance and construction of early American furniture and folk art. He loved sharing this knowledge with customers and sharing stories with his dealer friends—as a result his shops became meeting places, always with laughter in the mix. He enjoyed coaching Little League, tying flies, gardening and puttering in his workshop.

Bob was a long-time summer resident of Nantucket, having built a house there in 1984 after honeymooning on the island with his second wife Ellen. He loved fishing and boating off Nantucket, reaping the rewards of a day of clamming and became a prolific Nantucket lightship basket maker. He also discovered road cycling in his 50’s and could be found riding through the Litchfield Hills or with “the pack” on Nantucket and continued to bike 30-40 miles several times a week well into his mid 80’s. He loved spending time walking and clearing trails in the Connecticut woods and in his later years was known to completely rid lawns of all crabgrass – with no stones left unturned!

He will be lovingly remembered for his optimism and enthusiasm for life, his quickness to laugh, and his love of old movies, classical music, great seafood, sports of any kind, animals of all sorts, and the great outdoors—and most importantly his endearing love for his family and his country.

Bob is survived by his two children, Kimberly Kay Walin of Darien, CT and Robert Stewart Walin Jr. of Jupiter, FL, stepdaughter Lucy Wightman of Brewster, MA and pre-deceased by his wife, Ellen Reeves Walin.

A special thank you to Desreen Butler and Sandra Ferron Dwyer for the amazing care given to Bob in his final years. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Any remembrances can be made to the Nantucket Conservation Association.