Robert Vanden Bosch 1936-2026

Robert Vanden Bosch of Chicago, IL and Boca Grande passed away on March 22, 2026 at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living in Chevy Chase MD. Robert grew up in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, where he enjoyed an old-fashioned childhood of the sort we don’t see anymore. When not playing stickball in the streets with the neighborhood kids he attended Saint Ignatius College Prep; which he considered his most formative educational experience. He continued his commitment to the “Jesuit way” of education by studying philosophy at Georgetown University and eventually earned an MBA at University of Chicago. 

In 1964, Robert met Nan McCarthy who would become his wife. Their first date was at a Notre Dame football game – family lore holds that he fell in love with both Nan and her Roquefort stuffed olives at that game, though in which order we will never truly know. Robert spent forty years at Harris Bank, working in both Chicago and London. One of his most valued positions was as Head of the American Bankers Association in London, where he represented American banking interests abroad. His career took him around the world and he was proud to represent a U.S. bank and the core values of our nation’s banking system. 

Following his retirement, he went on to be a valued member of the Executive Service Corps; finding a new passion in providing management consulting services to Chicago non-profits. An avid gardener in his spare time, Robert enjoyed giving visitors tours of his garden and was proud to have won Best Small Garden in Winnetka. 

In 2016, Robert and Nan decided to make Boca Grande their full-time home where they were regulars at the local bakery and were devoted members of Our Lady of Mercy Church. Robert’s family is grateful for the friendship and care the Boca Grande community extended to him, particularly following the death of his wife in 2019 and during his final years when he faced health challenges. 

Robert is survived by his daughters Julie Vanden Bosch; Molly Vanden Bosch (m. Ayman Shahin); his grandchildren Livie, Alec, and Genevieve – to whom he was lovingly known as “Bobby”; his sister Mitzi Freidheim (m. Cyrus Freidheim); and many nieces and nephews. 

Robert Vanden Bosch

January 31, 1936 – March 22, 2026