Robert Parati

Mr. Parati, 90, died September 25 peacefully at home in Ashfield.  He was born April 28, 1927 in Charlotte, NC to Otto Hugh Parati and Josephine Latta Parati.

Robert attended O’Donoghue School and was a graduate of Central High School, class of 1945.  Upon graduation he enlisted in the US Navy and served in the Philippines until after WWII ended.  He returned home and resumed his education at what is now UNC-Charlotte.

In 1954 he married Jane Anne Geiger.  Shortly before his death, when asked his greatest accomplishment in life, he answered, “Marrying Jane.”

Bob was an artist.  He began his career in retail advertising at Belk's, and then at Sears in Charlotte doing ad layouts and fashion drawings.  He later moved into package design.  In 1957 he stared his own commercial art company, Parati Studio, Inc.  He later formed Parati Advertising, serving clients throughout the Southeast. His creative career included writing gags and stories for two nationally syndicated comic strips, Gasoline Alley and Dennis the Menace.

Bob was a volunteer docent at the Charlotte Museum of History, giving tours of the 18th Century Hezekiah Alexander Home.  He also drew cartoons and wrote a continuing column on the origin of words and phrases for their newsletter, a column that continued in the Ashfield News later on.

He served on the adult education committee at the Shepherd Center of Charlotte, planning various programs for their Adventures in Learning series.

After retirement, Bob and Jane spent several years traveling in their camper throughout the continental US and Canada, visiting every state except Hawaii and Rhode Island.  In 2003 they moved from Charlotte to Concord, NC where they lived until March 2007, when they moved to Ashfield, the place he recognized almost immediately as his “real” hometown.  He found people there warm, friendly and intelligent and he reveled in their company.  After Jane passed away in 2012 Bob became a fixture at his daughter Nan’s Ashfield restaurant, Elmer’s Store where he would dine on entrees named for him, and happily greet people, frequently, three meals a day.

He also took up water colors and found much pleasure in painting landscapes and animals.  

His children, friends and extended family remember his gentle and accommodating nature, his great wit and the warm smile he had for everyone, always.

Robert is survived by his four children, Nan Parati of Ashfield, Chris Parati Roseman and her husband, William of Concord, NC; Tim Parati and his wife Kim of Charlotte, NC and Jon Parati and his wife Lingyun of Woodinville, WA; grandchildren Elyse and Micki Roseman, Giovanni and Asia Parati and nephew Jimmy Scancarelli. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the local PBS affiliate WGBY, and the Ashfield Public Library.  He would like very much to be here with you now, but Jane called him home for dinner and he couldn’t disappoint.

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