Longtime township employee died Feb. 11.
By: Lea Kahn
Asked to describe Robert Minutoli, those who worked with him and knew him well agreed that he was a genuinely nice man whose world revolved around his family and golf in that order.
Mr. Minutoli, who retired in January as the director of Lawrence Township’s Division of Planning and Redevelopment, died Feb. 11. The 61-year-old Yardley, Pa., resident had worked for the township for 16 years.
"Bob Minutoli was a wonderful, gentle man," Municipal Manager William Guhl said. "I never heard anyone say an unkind word about Bob. He was a warm, wonderful guy who will be sorely missed.
"Hiring a new employee is part of being an employer, but you don’t replace a personality like Bob," Mr. Guhl said. "There is a sense of loss that everyone around here (the Municipal Building) is feeling it’s about losing a guy that everyone had a special place in their heart for.
"Bob was absolutely committed to his family," he said. "He lived for his family. He was just a wonderful, wonderful man. He was a sweetheart of a man. He always had a smile on his face. He was just an endearing character."
Municipal Engineer Christopher Budzinski recalled Mr. Minutoli as an even-tempered man who never let anything upset him. He was also a generous man who would do anything for anybody, Mr. Budzinski said.
"Bob was a beautiful person," he said. "His family always came first. He was very close to his wife, Nancy. They were the perfect couple. Everybody’s marriage should be modeled on their marriage.
"He was just a good person," Mr. Budzinski said. "Bob loved to eat and he loved his Italian traditions at the holidays. He would go all over creation to get special foods for the holidays."
Attorney Daniel Haggerty, who often dealt with Mr. Minutoli while representing clients who wanted to develop in Lawrence, characterized him as a nice man.
"When I would see Bob’s name on a telephone message, a smile would come to my face," Mr. Haggerty said. "Bob was one of those people you run across in life who had a way of making you feel better. He always treated the public with courtesy and respect.
"He was always pleasant, and he seemed to be able to keep a reasoned perspective on the balance between work and play," he said. "He was a really nice man. There are many of us in Lawrence who will miss him."
Secretarial assistant Sue Snook, who also worked with Mr. Minutoli, described him as a "sweetheart and general all-around good guy." He was very easy to talk to, she said. He had a good sense of humor and he would often tell jokes, she added.
"It’s still odd," Ms. Snook said. "I miss him a lot. I just thought he was a great guy. I used to help him with his computer. He’s going to be missed. It’s still hard to understand that he is gone."
Mr. Minutoli was very easy to work with, agreed executive assistant Ann M. Wilk, who worked for Mr. Minutoli for the past 10 years. He was very considerate and very likeable, she said.
Mr. Minutoli, who doubled as the township’s zoning officer, was very knowledgeable about the Land Use Ordinance and the township’s affordable housing program, she said. He could answer questions without having to look for the information in the books, she added.
But golf was Mr. Minutoli’s passion, Ms. Wilk said. She always knew when he was going to take some time off to play golf, because he would come to the office casually dressed.
"If you didn’t feel well, he would always ask how you were," Ms. Wilk said. "He always asked about my grandson. He was very family-oriented. He was very close to his children and grandchildren. There was a fabulous relationship between him and his wife."

