SDC Member and past Director of the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry
April 1, 1949 – February 13, 2025
Bob Doktor was a gifted carpenter. A friend asked him to help renovate the St. Rose of Lima Food Pantry, and he said yes. Asked to collect food from community drives in his big GM truck, Bob said yes. He became a pantry volunteer because he saw the need and said yes, eventually becoming the second director of the St. Rose Pantry, leading an amazing team of highly organized volunteers. During that time, he served on the Second Harvest of Central Florida agency advisory board and received their Hunger Hero Award for Osceola County, which recognized the work of St. Rose of Lima pantry in Poinciana and Kissimmee. He made room for many during his life, serving those in need whom he met along the way.
He loved the ethnic diversity of Buffalo, NY, his home town, where his family spoke Polish at home and he inherited their deep faith and work ethic. The Doktor and Duchnik families emigrated from Poland after his grandfather’s town was wiped out during World War II, but kept their culture and traditions alive and well. Bob loved food: shopping for it at the Buffalo Polish Market, cooking it, and enjoying it. His mother and Aunt Molly made pierogis, golabki, kielbasa, sweet and sour cabbage, and all sorts of amazing baked goods. He and Barb became excellent cooks for their family and friends.
He fell in love with Barbara Petruolo, of Yonkers, New York, the child of Italian immigrants and grandchild of Irish immigrants, and they married 55 years ago at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Tonawanda, New York. Almost immediately, the newlyweds moved to Frankfort, Germany, where Bob served as a communication specialist with the 5th US Army Corp, as part of the American NATO presence. After returning to the Buffalo area, he earned a BS in Accounting from Canisius College, made General Motors products for 33 years, enjoyed Buffalo wings, Beef-on-Weck, Sahlens hot dogs, and shoveled a lot of snow. An avid Buffalo Bills fan, he and Barbara enjoyed, dancing, camping, playing cards, travel and their family. They retired to Solivita 20 years ago, became members of St. Rose of Lima parish, the Western & Upstate New York Club, the Social Dance Club, Do Unto Others Club, Veterans Club of Solivita, Solivita Democrats, and Oldies But Goodies, among others.
Bob died of a heart attack while enjoying a cruise with Barb. He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara Petruolo Doktor, Poinciana, FL; son Shawn Edward Doktor, Poinciana, FL; grandson Brendan Doktor, Buffalo, NYl; daughter Bridget Marie Doktor Lukomski, son-in-law Daniel Lukomski and grandson Noah Lukomski, Williamsville, NY; sister Deborah Bowen, Buffalo, NY; brothers Kenneth Doktor, Jamestown, NY and Donald Doktor, Rochester, NY.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Thursday, March 20, 11 am. A mass of Christian burial and interment will be at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church and Cemetery Buffalo, NY.
Donations: Lima Center: www.saintroseoflimacc.org
Choose online donations and then “building fund.”
