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    SOUTH PALM BEACH — They say a cat has nine lives, but with all due respect to felines, any cat would have been happy to have lived the many lives of Robert “Bob” Welstein, who died on March 15 at the age of 96. Mr. Welstein lived many lives during those 96 years.
    He was born to Russian immigrant parents just two months after the end of World War 1 and grew up in Chicago’s Jewish West Side during the height of the Depression. As a young boy, he did everything from drive a horse-drawn wagon to being a cook at the Waveland Golf Course.
    When World War II broke out, Mr. Welstein enlisted in the Army Air Forces, where he served as a cryptographer. Upon his honorable discharge, his love of numbers led him to his first career, accounting. It was at that point that he made the decision that he would never work for anyone and always be his own boss.
    After almost two decades in accounting, Mr. Welstein purchased one of his accounts and became the owner of an industrial supply business in Chicago. While he knew nothing about the business when he bought it, he threw himself into his new endeavor with the same zeal that he had for life and turned it into a successful enterprise.
    It was during this phase of life that an event occurred which changed his entire outlook on living. On Jan. 17, 1968, his 49th birthday, Mr. Welstein suffered a massive coronary and was hospitalized for six weeks.
    At the time, his doctor advised him to put his affairs in order because of the serious nature of the heart attack. Instead, Mr. Welstein stopped smoking, started exercising, and began a wind-down of his business so that by the time he was 58, he retired to South Palm Beach.
    His years in South Florida gave his life new meaning and left a legacy that will not be forgotten, as he impacted the lives of many others.
    He developed interests in areas as diverse as opera, art, foreign film and climate science. He was a passionate believer in lifelong learning. Starting as a volunteer, Mr. Welstein eventually became the president of the Center for Lifetime Learning at Palm Beach State College, where he organized the lecture bureau.
    Not satisfied with just one job, he transferred the concept to the town of South Palm Beach and started what is now called The Robert Welstein Quest for Knowledge series. He booked all the speakers and ran the program up to the time of his death.
    His personal life was filled with family and friends. He was devoted to his wife, Eleanor, to whom he was married for 62 years. They traveled the world together and shared a love for the town of South Palm Beach.
    Later, he had a wonderful relationship with Eleanor Rubin of Boynton Beach. In addition, he was a regular at the Lake Worth Golf Club until he was well into his 80s and volunteered for numerous organizations including working with Palm Beach County as an election adviser.
    Robert Welstein is survived by his daughter Donna (Justice William Ehrcke), his son Harvey (Anne), his grandchildren Todd, Jaclyn (Grant), Alicia, and Dylan and his great grandson, Everett. He will be missed by many, but also celebrated for a life well-lived.
    A memorial was held March 18 at the Rubin Memorial Chapel in Boynton Beach. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to United Way of Palm Beach or the Jewish War Veterans.
— Obituary submitted by the family