A Tribute to Bob Erlenbaugh 
by Judy Wall
About a month ago, Bob Erlenbaugh (of “Bob and Madge” fame) passed away, leaving a big hole in the hearts of many of us at Misericordia. Below are thoughts from a handful of folks--staff, residents, parents--that his kind heart touched over the years here at Mis.
“Bob, along with Madge, of course, became a fixture at all things Misericordia, from formal events, like directing the Heartzingers Choir at the MFA dinners and Family Fest, to informal visits at resident homes...and spontaneous conversations anywhere and everywhere in between (i.e., sidewalks, GHI, etc.). Much of this had to do with his general enthusiasm towards life - "Never better!" - was his ready response to, "How's it going?" - but also his zeal towards faith and family. In the people and mission of Misericordia, he recognized and delighted in an opportunity to attend to both and did so for years and years with ever ready hands and an open heart.”
“Bob always considered us his second family and he was mine. He was always making jokes and had a song for everything. He had a song called "Keep On the Sunny Side" for when people were sad. They always somehow went from crying to laughing."
“While Bob and Madge’s weekly sing-a-longs became the high point of the week for many residences on campus, we at McGowan fancied ourselves as special. (Probably each residence did; Bob made each person feel special.) He patiently made connections with our family members, taking whatever time was necessary to really “see” our loved ones. In the early days of weekly Wednesday night sing-a-longs, the McGowan residents would all be in their PJs and in the main room, waiting for Bob and Madge to walk in and start the fun. Each McGowan resident had his or her own special song: Maria Serrano sang “Amazing Grace”, Christy McNerney sang “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in My Heart”. For those who liked a challenge, Bob initiated “Name That Tune”. There were special original compositions by Bob - real crowd pleasers - such as “I’ve Just Come to Take My Meds” (as the nurse went around dispensing) and “Somebody’s Knocking at the Door” (the McGowan doorbell), and "Oh, Patty, (the Q), Why Don’t You Answer?”. The residents always found it hilarious. It was always the most special time of the week for the house. But McGowan had no monopoly on the kindness and joy Bob brought when he and Madge showed up every single week on campus. They faithfully gave their time and love to all of Misericordia.”
“We always knew when Bob and Madge got to McGowan: his voice just boomed (especially with the acoustics at McGowan!). That’s how we found the sing-along when it was moved to Jean Marie Ryan; just follow the sound of Bob’s voice. He was always so kind to everyone, residents and staff. He had the patience of a saint. Mis will not be the same without him”
“During the pandemic, the Bob and Madge sing-a-longs went virtual, and we could participate along with our family members. Everyone was on screens, but we could share the weekly time of happy singing during that long period of having to be apart from our family members.”
“Bob surely was a treasure and a real gift to our family, as well as to so many others. He is missed.”
Thanks to Andrew, Abbey, Patty, and others for sharing their memories of Bob.
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