Robert A. Grillo, 88, of Vero Beach, passed away on Jan. 21, 2016.
He is survived by three sons and their families, Paul Grillo and Heidi of Westerly, R.I., daughters Caroline (Benoit) of West Hartford and her children Lucy and Marin, and Emily of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Robert Grillo, Jr. and Susan of Essex, Conn., children Alisa of Chicago, Evan from Essex, Anna from Madison; Nicole and Steffen Kutz from Unionville and their children Alex and Maya; and Ken Grillo and Joan of Burlington, Vt., and their daughter Julia.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, and wife Toni.
Grillo was born Nov. 21, 1927, in Brooklyn, N.Y. and moved to Hartford with his parents, Anthony and Caroline, and older brother Lucian. He attended Hall High School & Yale School of Music.
He worked for insurance companies including Metlife and Aetna, until establishing an investment company – Grillo Financial Services, with son Paul.
A salesman at heart, he quipped his greatest sale was convincing Paul and Anna Mozzicato that he was fit to marry their only daughter Antoinette. He and Toni were happily married for 61 years, lived in Tucson, Ariz., West Hartford, Conn., and Vero Beach.
He loved golf, travel, schmoozing with old friends and always making new ones. An accomplished pianist, he filled the home with music ranging from ragtime, Gershwin, and Debussy, to Beethoven. It seemed fitting that he lived one year for each of the 88 keys on a piano.
The family plans a private memorial service in the spring.
