Obituary: Robert Tulloch Lacy

Robert Tulloch Lacy, fondly known as Rob, RTL, and Bochin, peacefully passed away at his home in Hingham, Massachusetts, on January 5, 2025, surrounded by love, with his wife and daughters at his side.

Rob was born in Ogdensburg, New York, on July 21, 1941, to Helen (Tulloch) “Tuch” Lacy and Harold “Skeets” Lacy. He grew up in Devon, Pennsylvania, but called the St. Lawrence River home. He spent entire summers of his youth on the River, and thereafter made an “annual pilgrimage,” excitedly returning to the River for a week or two every summer in the ensuing sixty years.

After graduating from Conestoga High School, Rob attended Yale University on an ROTC scholarship. He planned to become an engineer, but after witnessing a motorcycle accident that left him with a feeling of helplessness, Rob pursued a medical degree at Cornell. A freshly minted Dr. Lacy then entered the Air Force, where he served as a flight surgeon, uniquely known for his poker skills and persistent airsickness. After two years of active duty, Rob betrayed his Yale roots and completed his ophthalmology residency through Harvard at Mass Eye and Ear. Following residency, Rob came to a fork in the road, so he took it, and built a life and career in the Boston suburbs.

After joining a fledgling Eye Health Services in 1975, Rob enjoyed contributing to the practice’s tremendous growth until his reluctant retirement from EHS in 2016. While the sheer number of patients Rob saw over the years may not be known, what is certain is that he made each patient feel special and well-cared for, and he savored each day that he practiced medicine. Rob found his calling in ophthalmology and his work was always important to him, but the roles he relished most were those of loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend.

While raising daughters Blair and Britt with his former wife Julie in Hingham, Rob delighted in providing happiness and humor to the household. Whether orchestrating tractor rides and relay races for birthday parties, dispensing coaching advice from the sidelines, getting up at the crack of dawn to beat morning chairlift lines, or depositing handwritten notes with pearls of wisdom into handmade school lunches, Rob eagerly embraced every aspect of parenting. Aside from specific incidents when his daughters were learning to drive, Rob’s calm and gentle demeanor was unflappable. How he loved, and lived, his life provided Blair and Britt with comfort, confidence, and a strong moral compass.

Although Rob anticipated spending his “golden years” gainfully employed as an eye surgeon, Parkinson’s Disease altered his course. Buoyed by his wife Jen’s tireless support, he approached the challenging diagnosis with intention and his indefatigable positive outlook. For years, his primary laments were that he couldn’t return a tennis lob like he used to, and his putting game went from subpar to pitiful. Despite the relentlessness of the disease, Rob remained active and cultivated a strong community at 110 Fitness, where he enthusiastically participated in Rock Steady Boxing classes at least twice each week.

Rob was known for his authenticity as much as his adventurous spirit, his integrity as much as his frugality, his sense of humor as much as his sense of gratitude. Rob’s hallmarks—his infectious passion for life, boundless optimism, insatiable curiosity, and genuine compassion for others—are part of his beautiful and far-reaching legacy.

Rob is survived by his devoted wife, Jennifer McCready; his loving daughters, Blair and Britton Lacy; his caring stepsons, Nicholas and Garrett McCready; his adoring grandchildren, Colin and Jenna McCready, Evan and Ellis Graham, Baker and Zadie Bell, and Cameron and Quinn McCready; and a host of close-knit cousins.

A service honoring Rob’s life will be held at House of Prayer Lutheran Church, where he was an active congregant and choir member for decades. All are welcome to celebrate Rob at House of Prayer on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 11:00 AM. For those unable to attend in person, a live streaming option will be available through House of Prayer’s Facebook profile.

To commemorate Rob’s strength in the face of adversity, to honor his caring community of fellow PD warriors, and to support his love of the St. Lawrence River, in lieu of flowers, his family invites you to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, 110 Fitness in Rockland, MA, or the Morristown Public Library in Morristown, NY.