Robert N. Arens
March 8, 1942 ~ May 6, 2024
Robert Nicholas Arens, age 82, of Ridge, New York died Monday, May 6, 2024. Robert was born March 8, 1942 in Richmond Hill, New York. He is the son of the late Edward and the late Veronica (Donohue) Arens. He was employed by Icelandair, JFK Airport, New York as an Airline Executive. He is survived by his beloved wife, Bernice (Piranio) Arens and his three loving sons, Michael E. Arens, Richard Arens and Daniel Arens. He is also the cherished grandfather of Danielle Pitzullo, Scott Arens, Richard Arens, Jr., Louis Arens, MD, Christopher Arens, DDS, Edward Arens, Jacob Arens, with two precious great grandchildren on the way. All arrangements have been entrusted to the Rocky Point Funeral Home, 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point, New York. Celebration of the Mass of Christian burial will be held 9:30 am on Friday, May 10, 2024 at St. Anthony Of Padua R.C. Church, 614 Route 25A, Rocky Point, New York. Burial will follow in St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York. Visiting hours will be Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Knights of Columbus Services 7:30PM and Wake Prayers offered at 8:00PM at the Rocky Point Funeral Home, 603 Route 25A, Rocky Point, New York. An online guestbook can be found at www.rockypointfuneralhome.com. “In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Robert’s name to support Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to:Attn: Megan Berry Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Office of DevelopmentPO Box 27106New York, NY 10087Please indicate on the check memo line that the gift is in memory of Robert Arens.”http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/HonoringRobertArens
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Always a fine gentleman.
R.I.P. dear BOB.
A great photo! Thank you.
Bob was an industry champion and I am proud to say that I knew him as a co-worker, business colleague, mentor, role model, and friend. I can also humbly say that Bob had the most profound impact on my working life, helping me to advance and shape my career in the aviation industry. I will forever be indebted to him. I am so deeply sorry for your loss and my thoughts and prayers are with the Arens family during this most difficult time.
Mike Bednarz
Mike, thank you for your very kind and beautiful words.
Your father’s legacy is his faith and beautiful family. May memories comfort you . God bless and keep you. And give you peace. With love,
We bid a fond farewell to this kind gentleman with the wonderful face, Robert Nicholas Arens, who died Monday, May 6, 2024 at age 82.
We knew Bob for a number of years as a force for good and a genuine nice guy when he worked for Icelandair’s Al Shea at JFK.
At the time we were building our brand, we would see him at work in one of those now long-gone cargo sheds that used to surround Cargo Building 80 (also long gone at JFK) where the Customs Brokers and some forwarders lived at the airport.
Bob and I would banter about our last names being so familiar at a time he was dealing with the paperwork of air cargo and we were lugging around A VW Microbus full of newspapers, that we delivered college campus style to the cargo area on and off the airport.
Sometimes we would go take coffee at Greg and Paul Poulos’ Sky Deli in Building 110, where all the cargo people hung out and we kept our newspaper rack filled with papers for the airlines, forwarder and brokers.
We recall being really green in the air cargo business and Bob Arens extending a gentle helping hand and actually coming in with us and helping our small newspaper Air Cargo News for a time.
Bob Arens always made us feel that the big, and at times, impersonal airport cargo business was manageable.
Bob was also an advocate and active supporter of the JFK Air Cargo Association for many years.
His friend Jim Larsen (Ex-Seaboard World Airlines), himself a legend of the formative days of air cargo, during the 1970s, when JFK International handled more than 70% of all the international air cargo moving in and out of the U.S., recalls his good friend Bob Arens.
He was a professional, well spoken and an all around cargo person. I’m sad to hear of his passing. Too many old friends have passed recently.”
Happy landings always Bob.
(Geoffrey Arend)
Geoffrey, thank you for your beautiful note. The JFK community was his second home and a big part of my family’s lives. His fingerprints will forever be a part of the airport and industry and we are very proud of what he accomplished and deeply appreciate the friends he made there. Again, thank you.
Sending love, thoughts and prayers.
Bob turned over the duties of Treasurer of the JFK Air Cargo Association to me. He gave me detailed records and information as well as some thoughtful and kind words of encouragement. Always friendly and kind and a gentleman. He was one of the pioneers in air cargo at JFK as it grew in leaps and bounds. Such a loss. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Jim Burnett
Our Deepest Condolences to All the Arens family With Love from Vienna Nadine & Frankie Mallia