His name was Robert Le Rose. But generations of Westporters knew him as Bob or — even more familiarly — “Bobby Q.”
The owner of the popular downtown restaurant — the go-to place for ribs, casual conversation, fun, and a rooftop deck featuring bands and beer — died peacefully on Sunday, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 56 years old,
Bob Le Rose
In 2012 Bob — who also founded Westport’s Blues, Views & BBQ Festival — was diagnosed with a rare soft tissue cancer. Given 2 years to live, he beat that prognosis by nearly a decade.
Bob was born in Greenwich in 1965. From the baseball fields at Greenwich High School, to his DJ group Incognito, to Westport and Norwalk and his beloved Bobby Q’s, the University of Richmond, and everywhere in between, Bob left his mark.
He started his career at Del Monte Foods as a sales associate. He then worked for Gallo Wines, Poland Spring, Nestle Waters and Velocity.
Bob and his wife Kelley opened Bobby Q’s in 2004 in Westport, combining Bob’s passion for community and authentic Kansas City BBQ. The Blues, Views & BBQ Festival grew out of Bob’s love for music.
Countless projects in between reflected his desire to bring people together. That never changed, even during the toughest years of his life.
Bob is survived by his high school sweetheart Kelley; daughters Alex and Meghan; brothers James and Christopher, and loving nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life is set for this Saturday (August 28, 1 to 4 p.m., Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home, 134 Hamilton Avenue, Greenwich). To leave an online tribute, click here.