Obituary of Robert Luke Santaella

Rob Luke Santaella "Cash" LIVED his life. He made sure that he enjoyed it. He enjoyed it fully right to the very end. When he went out in the mother of all Irish Goodbyes. Rob started his life not too humbly as was evidenced by the big plywood sign on the front of the house in huge blue spray paint writing that said, "IT'S A BOY" Everyone on the block knew he had arrived. Rob took all that attention and ran with it. Rob loved the attention. I think he started putting on mousse as soon as he had hair. Man, that boy was always working on his hair, a tradition he kept up to the end. How do we know? The case of Deluxe shampoo and conditioner we found in his closet. I'm not even sure why he did all that because as soon as he could he put on a baseball cap. He learned the game from his older brother John who was his first coach. He quickly learned the game and became a catcher. He wasn't much of a hitter, but he could pick off a runner on 2nd with a bullet from his rifle of an arm. He used that to make an AAU team that travelled to Canada and France. Rob went to Paramus Catholic HS where he excelled in both baseball and football. Wherever he went "45" was the life of the party. It was during his time at PC that he met his lifelong friend Sam. She has been a friend to him through all the highs and lows of Rob's life. After high school Rob attended college (but "attended" is kind of a loose term). There was time spent up at Adirondack Community College and William Patterson, but after deciding it wasn't for him, he entered the food service industry. Rob moved quickly from waiting tables to bartending where he honed his craft. Rob was everyone's favorite bartender. Rob was a die-hard Yankee fan. Some of the greatest memories he had are from Yankee Stadium. The night the old stadium was literally rocking when the Yanks beat the Mariners in the 15th as well as when Judge broke the American League home run record were among his favorites. In 2004 Rob's older brother John passed away. This had a profound effect on Rob that lasted throughout his life. It was also a time that brought him his only child Adriana. I'll be honest Rob was not a good father, but I do know that he loved her in his own special way. Which usually revolved around him taking her to Yankee games and making up for his absence with amazing Christmas gifts. Rob was the ultimate prankster and had a wicked sense of humor. Man, he was a sarcastic bastard (family trait), but he did it with such panache that many never knew what hit them. Rob was married to Rosie Vega on Aug 3, 2013 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico in a truly beautiful ceremony on the bluffs overlooking the Caribbean. Although their marriage didn't last Rosie has remained a part of his life ever since. Rob had numerous health problems throughout his life including diabetes, kidney failure and dialysis, but got a new lease on life on May 14th, 2017 when he received a kidney and pancreas transplant, then rocked it by getting out of the hospital in 4 days! Rob was a big personality, larger than life who enjoyed LIVING his life. Whether it be going out, going on vacation or going down the shore you knew Rob would go big. Although I don't call getting a ticket for "misbehaving" going big, but that guy did it. We will be having a memorial for Rob at the G. Thomas Gentile Funeral Home, 397 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ on Saturday, August 3rd 2024 from 2-5pm. Please come celebrate his life in the same informal irreverent way he celebrated his own. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the American Diabetes Association in Rob's name. To send condolences, directions or further information visit http://www.gentilefuneralservice.com