Robert

Sabin

Robert P. “Bob” Sabin Sr., 79, of Boynton Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on September 26, 2026, following a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He leaves behind a legacy of innovation, adventure, family devotion, and an extraordinary ability to bring people together through his passions for travel, cycling, sports, photography, and storytelling.

Bob was born on May 18, 1947, in San Francisco, California, and was raised in the close-knit New England community of Foxborough, Massachusetts. He graduated from Foxborough High School in 1965 before attending the Case Institute of Technology, which had federated with Western Reserve University to form Case Western Reserve University in 1967. He completed his engineering degree in 1969.

While attending college in Cleveland, Bob met the love of his life, Joan Mary Hritz, at a fraternity party. Joan was then attending St. John’s School of Nursing. Their connection was immediate and enduring. On June 14, 1969, the week after Bob’s college graduation, they were married at Saint Bridget Catholic Church in Parma, Ohio. Their marriage would span more than fifty-seven years and serve as the foundation of a life filled with love, laughter, family, and adventure.

Shortly after their wedding, Bob and Joan moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Bob began what became a distinguished 34-year career with Procter & Gamble.

Throughout his career, Bob served as a scientist and engineer on numerous beverage and coffee innovations. Early in his career, he worked on packaging and product improvements for Folgers Coffee. He later joined development efforts for High Point, Procter & Gamble’s decaffeinated coffee brand, which emerged during the growing national demand for decaffeinated coffee in the 1970s and became a significant competitor in the category.

Bob’s engineering work frequently placed him wherever critical challenges arose. Whether supporting operations at development facilities in Sherman, Texas, responding to production issues in New Orleans, traveling to Mumbai, India, or working alongside manufacturing teams throughout the world, he was known as a hands-on engineer who thrived in the field and valued customer feedback as an essential part of product development. He believed the best innovations came from understanding consumers, experiencing operations firsthand, and solving problems where they occurred. His practical approach earned the respect of colleagues throughout Procter & Gamble.

In 1980, when Procter & Gamble acquired the Crush soft drink business, Bob became involved in the development and expansion of the brand. Working on new flavor offerings beyond the flagship Orange Crush, he helped advance the idea that a single beverage brand could successfully offer multiple flavor expressions. Today, this strategy can be seen across brands such as Mountain Dew and Fanta, with broad portfolios of flavors under one master brand.

Later, Bob played a key role in the development of Sunny Delight, one of Procter & Gamble’s most recognized beverage products. He was particularly proud of work focused on creating affordable, nutritious beverage solutions and exploring opportunities to improve nutritional access for families worldwide.

Bob retired from Procter & Gamble after 34 years, having achieved the designation of Principal Scientist/Engineer in Juice Product Development.

Retirement in 2004 allowed Bob to focus on the three passions that would define the next chapter of his life: travel, cycling, and family. He and Joan relocated to Boynton Beach, Florida, where Bob quickly became immersed in the cycling community.

A longtime leader of the Frank Stark Ride and a dedicated member of the Boca Raton Bicycle Club, Bob served as club president for more than a decade. His leadership helped unite riders of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and experience levels. He believed cycling was less about competition and more about friendship, health, shared experiences, and, of course, great food. The club became an extension of his family, and many lifelong friendships were formed through his efforts. The annual Frank Stark Ride, one of South Florida’s cherished cycling traditions, held a special place in his heart.

Bob’s bicycle carried him around the world. He rode through France, Spain, Canada, and countless destinations throughout the United States. Often combining travel and cycling, he eagerly sought opportunities to explore local cultures from the saddle of a bicycle.

Travel, however, was never simply about destinations. It was about discovery. Throughout retirement, Bob and Joan traveled extensively across North America and Europe. Joan’s contracted leadership and administrative assignments frequently took her to new cities around the country, and Bob happily joined her, immersing himself in the history, culture, and character of each community. Together they created a lifetime of adventures while continuing to travel with Bob’s parents, Bill and Lavern, throughout the United States and Europe.

An enthusiastic amateur photographer long before the digital age, Bob rarely traveled without a camera. Family and friends fondly remember his extensive slide presentations, carefully organized photo albums, and countless prints documenting family adventures. Decades before smartphones made everyone a photographer, Bob understood the importance of capturing memories and preserving stories through photographs.

Bob and Joan welcomed their son, Robert P. Sabin Jr., on July 5, 1970. From an early age, Bob introduced his son to the joys of travel through memorable family vacations to destinations including The Greenbrier, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Maui, and Disney’s Buena Vista Palace. Those experiences helped inspire Robert’s lifelong passion for hospitality and ultimately his career as a hotel executive with Hilton.

Bob also introduced his son to another lifelong passion: Cincinnati sports. Together they followed the Cincinnati Reds through the glory years of the legendary Big Red Machine World Series championship teams of 1975 and 1976 and celebrated the Reds’ 1990 World Series championship. Father and son spent countless days and evenings together at Cincinnati’s iconic Riverfront Stadium, cheering on both the Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals.

In retirement, their travels evolved into football adventures as they followed the Bengals around the country. Their football journey reached its pinnacle with a special father-son trip to Super Bowl LVI, where they watched the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams. It became one of their most cherished memories together.

Bob never met a referee he liked.

For decades, he maintained a running theory that NFL officials had conspired against the Bengals simply because they were a small-market franchise. No penalty was legitimate, no review was fair, and no controversial call ever escaped his detailed analysis. It became a beloved family tradition to listen to Bob explain exactly how the latest officiating decision had once again disadvantaged Cincinnati. Those conversations almost always ended with laughter and remain among the memories his family treasures most.

Nothing brought Bob greater joy than being “Buppy” to his beloved granddaughters, Riley and Harper. He celebrated every accomplishment, milestone, and adventure in their lives. Earlier this year, he experienced one of the proudest moments of his life when both granddaughters graduated from college during the same weekend. Riley graduated from the University of Arizona, and Harper graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Bob also cherished his relationship with his daughter-in-law, Sacha (Aubin) Sabin, whom Robert married on October 23, 1999. Bob loved Sacha as if she were his own daughter. They shared a special bond built on humor, travel, spirited conversation, and mutual admiration. Few things made Bob happier than spending time with Robert, Sacha, Riley, and Harper, whether on family vacations, at holiday gatherings and sporting events, or simply sharing stories around the dinner table.

Bob was preceded in death by his brother Billy Sabin, who passed away in 1958; his mother, Lavern Sabin, who passed away in 2010; and his father, Howard E. “Bill” Sabin, who passed away in 2018.

He is survived by his devoted wife of more than fifty-seven years, Joan; his son, Robert P. Sabin Jr.; his daughter-in-law, Sacha Sabin; his beloved granddaughters, Riley and Harper; his brothers, Tom Sabin and Jim Sabin; his sister, Fern; and many nieces, nephews, lifelong friends, fellow cyclists, and former colleagues whose lives were enriched by knowing him.

Whether riding through the French countryside, cheering on the Bengals, photographing a family vacation, mentoring fellow cyclists, solving a complex engineering challenge, or enjoying a long conversation with Joan and family, Bob approached life with curiosity, humor, and gratitude. He believed every trip should include an adventure, every bike ride should end with a good meal, every photograph should preserve a story, and every Bengals game should come with a healthy skepticism of the referees.

Bob will be remembered for his intellect, humility, curiosity, generosity, and adventurous spirit. His legacy lives on in the products he helped develop, the friendships he cultivated, the miles he traveled, the photographs he preserved, and, most importantly, in the family he loved beyond measure.

In Lieu of Flowers

The family respectfully requests that, in lieu of Flowers, memorial contributions be made in Bob’s memory to one of two organizations:

the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which provides education, support services, caregiver resources, and research funding for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Donations may be made at alzfdn.org/donate.

Or, Boca Raton Bicycle Club, which enriches lives and community through the passion of cycling. Contributions may be made by mailing Boca Raton Bicycle Club, P.O. Box 810744, Boca Raton, FL 33481 or through the club’s donation page at bocaratonbicycleclub.com

“A life well lived is measured not by the years we are given, but by the memories we create, the people we love, and the journeys we share.”