Robert Charles Gessner, 86, a former resident of Oswego, NY, died Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, in Kissimmee, FL.
Born in the town of West Hoboken, NJ, he was the son of the late Hermann and Lillian (Harlin) Gessner. He graduated from Rutgers University and was a WWII United States Veteran, having served in the Coast Guard.
Prior to his retirement in 1996, Robert was the owner and manager of WSGO-AM/WGES-FM in Oswego, NY. He enjoyed more than 50 years in TV, cable, and radio broadcasting. Locations included WVOS-AM, Liberty, NY; WBAI-FM, NY, NY; WNNJ-AM, Newton, NY; WBNR-AM, Beacon-Newburg, NY; CBS News/Radio 88, NY, NY; Poughkeepsie Cablevision, Poughkeepsie, NY; WSGO-AM/WGES-FM, Oswego, NY.
He is survived by his wife, Karen (Mattson) Cremean-Gessner and children Robert Charles Gessner, Jr. and his wife Katheryn (Hayes) of Bradenton, FL; Richard Eric Gessner, Oswego, NY; William Joseph Gessner and his wife Cynthia (Barboza), Alva, FL, Susan Gessner Carey, Oviedo, FL; his stepchildren, Michael Arne Cremean, Las Vegas, Nevada; Nels Ross Cremean and his wife Elizabeth (Lee), Buffalo, NY; and Lars Bror Cremean, Granada Hills, CA; 14 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren, and 12 nieces and nephews.
There will be a private service for the family at Grissom Funeral Home, 803 Emmett St., Kissimmee, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m. There will be no calling hours. A Memorial Service will be held at Good Samaritan Village Community Church the first week in January.
To honor Robert, Memorial Donations may be given for an Aviary at the Memory Center (Alzheimer’s Unit) of the Good Samaritan Health Care Center, 1500 Southgate Drive, Kissimmee, FL, 34746. Checks may be written to “GSV-HCC” and designated “Aviary-Memory Center/Gessner.”
Contributions may also be made for the “Robert C. Gessner Memorial Broadcasting Scholarship,” at the School of Communications, Media, and Arts, SUNY Oswego. Checks may be made out to “Oswego College Foundation” designated “RCG Broadcasting Scholarship,” and sent to Sheldon Hall, 300 Washington Blvd., Oswego, NY 13126-3599.
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