FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 26, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
vschneps@gmail.com
“How do I love you?
Let me count the
ways,” is how I
began my husband Stu’s eulogy.
I feel the need to say those
words again for Bob Brennan,
68, who has served as get rid
of my COO of our news media
company for almost two decades
and shockingly suff ered a heart
attack aft er his daily six-mile
run.
I await news on his status as I
continue to pray for him. With
heavy hearts, we are carrying on
with the team he led.
Bob has been my “work husband”
someone I could call on
any time, from anywhere, about
anything. He’s had the pulse of
our company, guiding Josh and
I as we expanded from 14 to
72 newspapers, magazines and
websites. He is our cherished
consultant on every aspect of the
business.
I fi rst met him when we were
both serving as members of the
Queens Museum board. He was
a senior executive at Newsday
at the time. Th ere were
problems there and he
got embroiled in them.
Shortly aft er, I saw
him walking down
the street on Bell
Boulevard, no longer
at Newsday. I
asked him to come
upstairs and talk to
me because I knew
of his vast experience
in the news business.
I decided to hire
him and I never looked
back. I’ve had him by my
side ever since.
Th ere was never an issue I had
to deal with that I didn’t turn to
him for advice. He helped me
grow the business and aft er our
recent acquisition of the CNG
group — buying all our competitors
in Brooklyn and Queens
and giving us a footprint in
Manhattan, Westchester and the
Bronx — he got involved watching
over all of them.
In September, we acquired
amNew York and merged it in
January with Metro New York
and Metro Philadelphia. Bob
was there to guide and lead our
new teams through the transition.
He is admired, loved and
respected by our staff , both “old”
and new.
Bob is a superb, spirited skier
and I worried every trip he took,
that he should come home whole
— he did.
Just three weeks ago, he went
to Austria with his sister for his
annual European ski trip. Upon
returning, although he was feeling
fi ne, he respected our staff
and self quarantined himself.
While at home for two weeks,
he still oversaw our business —
ironically, his last phone call was
with Demetra Mattone talking
about the upcoming Power
Women of New York event she
would be running in September.
It was Bob who oversaw the
events team as part of his responsibilities.
He supervised every
detail, from budget planning to
printing journals to making sure
the team was in place for the
night of the event. He ensured
every event ran as smooth as
silk, making our events division
a major part of our success.
He was there to guide each
team member in Philadelphia,
New York City and Long Island.
No job was beneath him to personally
oversee and he engaged
with every one of our employees.
His greatest joy was to hold
monthly inspirational training
meetings at each of our offi ces
in Brooklyn, Queens and the
Bronx. I don’t know who gained
more from it — him or the staff .
It was just another challenge that
he took on superbly.
His favorite day of the year was
Halloween, when we had our
staff dress up in costumes and
compete for prizes. But no one
was as creative or outrageous as
he was in creating costumes that
were jaw droppingly unique.
Until Brian Rice arrived with
the Bayside Times/TimesLedger
acquisition, he had led our sales
team in Queens. Th en he oversaw
all of our acquisitions.
His input with the production
department, led by with Debbie
Cusick, Alan Seltzer and Nirmal
Singh was a remarkable relationship.
Th ey can tell you how Bob
was always calm, but fi rm, when
it came to meeting our press
deadlines, sometimes juggling
six publications a week.
Bob and I had our last “fi ght”
— a rare thing because we seldom
disagreed — when I wanted
to continue our plan to host
our Power Women of New York
event on May 27. He didn’t want
it on the schedule too soon
because of the pandemic. He
was a realist and I am a dreamer.
We compromised, as we usually
did when we disagreed, and at
fi rst made the September event
our “rain date.” We made the
September date offi cial and he
was right and I was wrong.
I could always count on Bob
to say what he thought was right
for the company. He was never a
“yes man” — he was a wise businessman
and friend and advisor.
I can’t imagine our company
without him.
He was so proud of his sons,
who earned advanced degrees
at their superior schools. Cathy
Lane, his life mate for 25 years,
was also a part of our company,
helping to guide us into the
digital era. Th ey ushered each
other through life’s journey, giving
each other the space to soar.
Bob, you are a critical part of
my life. I will miss calling you
day and night. May a miracle
happen.
He made work fun and loved
the news business (he read six
newspapers before he came to
work) as much as I do.
Victoria’s
DIARY
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
tweet me @vschneps
A tribute to
Bob Brennan
Bob with his sister in Austria.
After meeting our new
staffff in Philadelphia, we
all ate cheesesteak.
Halloween Bob as
Scissorhands
Bob’s (second from r.) amazing
costume on Halloween in 2018.
What Bob inspired.
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