Robert J. Hajner, 78, of Pinellas Park, FL funeral services are 9:15 AM, Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Bay Pines VA National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd., Bay Pines, FL 33708 with Veterans of Foreign War Post 9272 and the United States Naval Honors Team form Jacksonville, FL, to officiate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to The Foundation of Suncoast Hospice, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, FL 33760.
A native of Elgin, IL and a local Pinellas Park, FL resident, Robert was a retired pipefitter in the construction field for Local Union # 123, a Methodist and a US Navy Korean War Veteran serving aboard the USS Wisconsin as a MM3C. He was awarded the Korean Presidential Unit Citation; Good Conduct Medal; United Nation Service Medal; Korean Medal with 1 Star and the National Defense Medal.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Bette Hajner of Pinellas Park, FL; two sons, Robert Scott Hajner and his wife, Mary of Richland, WA and Randal Hajner of Orlando, FL and his four grandchildren: Brad Hajner, Jeff Hajner, a Cadet at the United States Air Force Academy; Jessica Hajner and Nic Hajner, a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy.
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Bette and family.
BOB was a good neighbor and friend, He will be missed.
Dad will be greatly missed. His stories and personality will live on through his loved ones forever more! We are all lucky to have “shook the hand” of a wonderful, loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. I love you Dad. Thank you for enriching my life!
Love, Kerry
He was a wonderful man and we will miss him. He was always biking around Mainlands and he enjoyed life to its fullest. Our deepest sympathy goes to his family.
Bob will be missed by a lot of old timers from Local 111. I workrd with Bob on several jobs. Good friend and 111 brother.
Bob was a wonderful friend. He always had a smile and something funny to laugh at. He will truly be missed at Mainlands. Our deepest sympathy to Bette and family.
I was sad when Bob and Bette moved to Mainlands but even more so when I learned of his passing away. Growing up next door to him was always entertaining. He had the greatest sense of humor and I always enjoyed his stories and looked forward to the next laugh with him when I visited my parents home. I know he will truly be missed by family and friends. My deepest sympathies to Bette, Scott and Mary, Randy and those he was proud to call his grandchildren. I will always remember him laughing and smiling.
Julie
What a great guy who will be deeply missed!! I was fortunate enough to have known “Bob” for a long time. His infectious personality and sense of humor was always a pleasure to be around. We shared many laughs after numerous basketball games in the Hajner back yard. I can still see his smile!!
The Lutz Patriots of Lutz, Florida send our deepest sympathies in the loss of Mr. Hajner. His service to our Country will be forever appreciated.
The news of Bob’s passing away makes me very sad. He and Bette were always a welsome sight to me and I wish I had dropped into visit more often to enjoy the smiles and laughter he brought. I’ll always remember our Sunday Morning Services at the pool. Thank You for serving our country; may God always bless you and your loved ones.
Rest now,
Jeanine
I lived 2 doors down from them in Mainlands for a couple of years. They both were great neighbors and we went to church services (pool) on Sunday mornings. I just kept in touch periodically by e mail and was sad to learn of his passing. My prayers are with Bette and family.
We always enjoyed our time with Bob. Years back, Bob and Dan built a play fort for the grandkids. After it was finished, it was a special day sitting in the backyard with a cold beer watching the kids enjoy their new fort. Other memorable times were at the beach, playing with stunt kites. Bob could do fantastic things with the kites. He was happy to put the controls in the hands of the uninitiated and help them put the kites through their paces. We will miss him and his positive, always glad to see you attitude. Our love thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time.
I worked with Bob on many jobs. He was a good mechanic and a good friend at local 111. He will be remembered and missed by all of the old members that knew him. My sympathies to Bette and family.
Gramps you are going to be missed by anyone you came in contact with and I will never forget the affects you had on me. I read the other day that if you can change a child’s life by putting a smile on their face then your life has true worth. Grandpa Hajner did this with everyone and I will never forget all the smiles I had when I was around him. He was a loving husband, father and best grandfather a kid could ask for. I remember his stories as a rebellious kid and causing mischief in neighboring pumpkin patches and then telling me a little bit of trouble gives ya some character. I also remember the story of when he stole his dad’s car before getting his license then running out of gas only to fill it with beer and then consequently ran it through the garage door. I would have loved to have been his friend when he was a youngster. I remember being at the beach with him taking video (as he always did of his grandkids) and the when we replayed the video at home the camera would pan off and follow some young trio of girls and Grandma Bette would smack him and say “Oh Bob”. I also remember the patience he had with every situation. He used to let us fly his kites and by fly I mean crash them. No matter how bad I did he was always there to offer encouragement and give you helpful advice. Boy he could zip those kites around too. He lived everyday to the fullest and put everyone else first. There was never a dull moment with him and his personality shined so brightly. Being at the Air Force Academy and seeing the picture of him in his Navy uniform and knowing he is a veteran of the Korean War gives me a new found sense of pride to follow in his footsteps as a member of the service. When I get my diploma in May 2010 it will be in his honor. Love you Grandpa.
What it is? What it was? and What it will be?
The angels in heaven are laughing their wings off with Bob telling them his stories. What a wonderful talent he had of making people feel better just talking with him. He would stop off while riding his bike and always had a funny story to share. God bless you Bette and Family. Love, Dolores and Doug
I will always remember Bob when Bob and I were doing pancakes for the Pancake Breakfast. I would always tease him about counting the bubbles before turning them and he always wore his chef’s hat. He will be sadly missed. Our sympathy to Bette and their family. Your friends, Smitty and Claudia
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time
Grandpa,
I’m going to miss you so much. You are such an amazing person in the eyes of soo many people. There are so many things that I can say about how great of a person you are and how many lives you changed just by gracing people with your humor and personality. I remember when I used to sing for you and grandma at your old house. You guys would listen to me like I was the next Mariah Carey, even though I knew I was horrible at singing. You gave me that silly shopping at the mall cd, that only had one song on it, but I thought it was the coolest cd a girl could have. From dressing up as a clown on my first birthday to dressing up like Santa Clause at Christmas and getting on the roof making noises so Nic and I thought there were reindeers up there, you always made us laugh! You were so funny, but that’s something I will never forget. I had so much fun just hanging out with you in the garage as you made things out of wood. I wont ever forget that slab of wood you put on the wheels so I could roll around outside as you worked. Our own “Go Mobile.” Who would have thought a piece of wood and wheels would make a kid soo happy? To this day I’m still scared of going in the attic because of Igor. I laugh every time I think of the monster noise you used to do when you told me Igor was going to get me. I love you so very much gramps, and I will miss you until we meet again. I’m sure you are giving those angels a great laugh and telling jokes about coming through the Pearly Gates! Thank you for everything you did for me.
You are truly the best grandfather a kid could ever have!
We will miss you Bob,your great sense of humor,your smile,you were a great guy,all of wish you a good journey.
For those who knew Bob, I think you will enjoy reading what is one of my favorite memories of him. I am also certain that after reading it you will smile and say to yourself…yep that sounds just like something Bob would do.
We were on a weekend hockey trip in Wenatchee Washington with our son Jeffrey and his hockey team. Since the team traveled 2-3 weekends per month we would normally try to stay at a reasonably pricedcheap hotel that offers a complimentary breakfast. Our favorite hotel chain was Holiday Inn Express because they had a very nice complimentary breakfast. Unfortunately on this particular trip to Wenatchee the Holiday Inn Express was book solid and the team had to stay at another hotel. I cannot remember the name of the hotel we stayed at but I do remember it shared a parking lot with the Holiday Inn Express. On Saturday morning everyone was finishing up with their breakfast and gathering for the ride over to the rink for our first game. Scott, Grandma Bette, Brad and I were ready to go. There was just one problem, Jeff and Grandpa Bob where nowhere to be found. Brad and I decided to go outside and have a look around. We did not see them and at that point thought maybe they took a walk over to the Holiday Inn Express. As we entered the lobby there was no sign of Grandpa Bob or Jeff. Our next thought was maybe they went to check out the pool. As we proceed thru the lobby on our way to the pool we just happen to pass by the hotels breakfast area. Brad and I see the two of them sitting at a table enjoying the yet another breakfasta better breakfast they later said. We stand there watching them when finally they see us. Grandpa Bob looks at us with his classic (woops…I’ve been caught) smile and gives us a wave. I will always treasure that moment and the look on his face.
PS… Thank you for the many times you picked up my little sister at the bus stop and gave her a ride home so that she would not have to ride the bus. You were a kind person and a wonderful father-in-law. I will think of you often and fondly remember the times spent together. Love Always Mary
Grandpa, I and others could go on for days recounting your great stories or the ways you light up a room. You could bring everyone together with your smile and laugh; you were truly an infectious person. These are just a few of the things and there were many more that made you such a great person. For me it was your ability to bring out the comical side of every situation. Uncle Randy I hope you remember this story, because I have the image of this one like it was yesterday. We were all down in Dayton Beach, FL for a Hajner family vacation. As many of you are aware family vacations can present the occasional edgy situation, with all those personalities and different agendas coming together. This situation happened to take place on the top level of a half vacant parking garage. Now I can’t remember the exact details, however, we were all standing around by the cars. I believe we were trying to figure out whose directions to use, who was riding in what car and who everyone was going to follow. And this is where the disagreement began and tensions rose. Uncle Randy had half a can of beer in hand at the exact time those tensions rose and in frustration he threw that beer clear across the lot into empty spaces. Now Grandpa without missing a beat says “hey, there was still beer in that can” and with that infamous smile and well known laugh and chuckle he alleviated the tensions and made everyone realize it’s not all that serious. What matters most is that we are here together having a good time. I am going to miss you so much. I will forever see your smile and hear your laugh. I love and miss you Grandpa.
What it is? What it was? and What it will be?
This has been difficult to write not because I don’t have the words but because how do you summarize your Father’s life and memories in such a short forum. I wanted it be the perfect depiction of him and my vivid memories so that others could understand our loss. We all have some great stories from our experiences with Dad however I wanted to give insight on the person my Dad was so everyone who didn’t know him will understand why he will be so dearly missed. “Bob” Hajner was a loving husband, father and grandfather, a loyal friend to those that were lucky enough to become his friend. A proud blue-collar worker, plumber, pipe-fitter, welder that believed in a hard days work. Not being college educated sometimes bothered him but I was always proud of his strong work ethic and how he worked his ass off to support his family and always put us 1st. Dad always made sure when we saw him we would have $ in our pocket and that continued with his grandchildren. His use of humor put people at ease and will always be remembered for the ability to strike up a conversation with complete strangers no matter the location or situation. He had an infectious way about him that people were drawn to and loved being around. Growing up our house was the place to be as he built a mini basketball court that all of us remember for our legendary backyard league and steak parties (ssshh..we were supposed to be in school…don’t tell Mom)…being a master craftsman the pole of which he placed the backboardhoop on stood forever..it still had my teeth marks in it years after as it served as a resting stop for his loved owls and other birds. He was unbelievable with his hands there wasn’t an item he couldn’t build or repair (ok maybe the DVD player) and he loved woodworking as exhibited by the numerous projects and exhibits that made our house a home. Some of his other hobbies included sailing (earlier years), and flying kites at the park. As my daughter recalled I will always remember how he loved his grandkids and the times he would dress up for a special occasion (Bob The Killer Clown & Bob Claus) just to put a smile on their face. He was so proud of his family, my brother and I and his four grandkids and even though sometimes our home was a scene from Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond you knew how much he relied on and loved my Mom. Some have recited a catch phrase that Dad would say that had special meaning to them..”Shook the Hand”, What It Is”, etc. I have many…such as “Drug Up”..”Eat Up”…”Cod”… however the two the were special to me are before every sporting event he would tell me..”Play Your Cool Son” and then I can still hear him in the stands at my baseball games…”Rare Back and Fire that Ball Randal”. I have so many stories to tell but will save them for our next family “Pabst Blue Ribbon Tribute” at the Korean War Memorial.I will always remember Bob as his spirit lives on in us, he was truly a special person…he was my Dad. I love you and will miss you Pops..Randal…#2 Son.
Grandpa,
It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly two weeks since you left us and joined the angels in heaven. I have no doubt that by now you are on a first name basis with everyone and are still going out of your way to make people smile or laugh just because you know that you can. There was never a dull moment when you were around Grandpa, whether you were finding a way to get in Grandma’s hair, were telling stories of the monster’s in the attic, or stories of your friend Shondor Fusagush, you always found a way to make everyone smile. Grandpa I have no doubt that your influence has led me to the Naval Academy and to the Navy in general, to “See the World.” Everyone who met you became a better person because of your constant humor and dedication to your family. Grandpa, I am proud to be your grandson, proud to be a Navy man, and most importantly proud to be a Hajner. I know that you will always be with me when I need you as my guardian angel, but for now, Anchors Aweigh. I love you and miss you.
I met this handsome sailor Bob Hajner 57 years ago in the Locarno Ballroom in Glasgow Scotland one afternoon after picking up my Visa at that American Embassy to travel via New York to Canada. Not wanting to go home right away I stopped off at the ballroom see what was going on. As I sat in the balcony watching the dancers I saw this sailor and I just felt that I had to meet him. It took sometime before he asked me to dance but when he did that started our 56 year journey. We kept in touch every day by mail ( no cell phones way back then) till he came to see me in Canada .We got engaged and a year later we married
Bob gave me two wonderful sons who have made him proud. And in turn they gave him four great grandchildren He was especially of that fact that the boys graduated from the University of Florida and he was an avid Gator fan.. The grandchildren went or are going to different university’s but he was proud that all are doing the things that they want to in life. He never hesitated to boast about ll the accomplishments they have achieved and hoped to achieve.
Bob was a great story teller…now sometimes he would embellish on the story to make it sound good , but that was Bob. He had this wonderful smile and the greatest sense of humor. He could fix just about anything around the house. With the exception of anything electronic. The computer was not one of his favorite things He would say.. “ That is not my bag”
His favorite thing was sitting in the garage at his scroll saw making the most intricate things for me,, which I would call my dust catchers. Then on Sundays he would go to the beach and fly his stunt kites. He would zip those kites around for hours till he would get tired then he would come home and yell as he came in the door” Anyone Home”. He would laugh that wonderful laugh of his and smile. And ask “ whats’ to eat”
I will miss all the goofy things he would do to make the grandchildren laugh , or when he would say some word incorrectly. And everyone would laugh , he would laugh h at himself without being embarrassed.. His one thing he he would always say after hearing something either good or bad” Only in America” I will miss you Bob Hajner for all the good times and the bad times we shared. You will always be in my heart. Thanks for 56 years of joy and sadness till we meet again. I know you are spinning your tales and keeping the angels laughing… Smile down on us my love. Your wee bonnie lassie Bette.