Bob Jewell, police officer, fireman

Robert George Jewell of Ridgefield, who had been both a policeman and a firefighter in New York City, died at his home on Monday, July 5, after a battle with cancer. He was 63 years old and the husband of Frances Shiels Jewell.
According to his family, “he passed in the company of those who loved him.”
Bob Jewell was born Feb. 12, 1941 in the Bronx, N.Y., and was raised in the island community of City Island.
“It was growing up on City Island that he developed a deep appreciation and affinity for the sea, whether it be boating, fishing or enjoying its bounty, especially clams and softshell crab,” said his son, Robert Jewell.
He attended Mount Saint Michael’s in the Bronx, graduating in 1959. It was at a school dance that he met Fran, his wife of 39 years, who lived in nearby Parkchester and attended Saint Helena’s. They married in 1964 and lived in Parkchester until moving to Ridgefield in 1969. They also spent their summers in Long Beach, N.Y., where they owned a summer home.
“Bob loved nothing more than a day on the beach with his family, strolling the boardwalk with his wife, or just sitting on his porch,” his son said.
Mr. Jewell was a veteran of the “Fighting 69th” Infantry Division of the New York Army National Guard. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
Mr. Jewell served the City of New York for many years, working for both the New York City Police Department and Fire Department. He began his career as a police officer, first in the 25th Precinct in Harlem, where he walked a beat during the civil unrest of the early 1960’s, and, later, in the 47th Precinct in the Bronx.
He later became a firefighter, and was first assigned to Engine 71, a few blocks from Yankee Stadium, “where he helped try to stop the South Bronx from burning down in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s,” his son said.
Mr. Jewell was subsequently assigned to Ladder 50 on Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx, where he shared a firehouse with his wife’s brother, Ray.
He retired as a fire marshal, having served as an arson investigator, first with the Major Case Squad and, later, as a founding member of the special “Red Cap” task force.
Mr. Jewell was also a “devoted family man who coached Little League teams in Ridgefield for each of his three sons,” son Robert Jewell said. “He loved spending time with his boys, be it fishing, fixing cars or bikes or just throwing a ball around — he was the consummate dad. He always put family first and all else second.
Besides his wife, Mr. Jewell is survived by his three sons and their families: Robert, his wife Brenda and their three sons, Robert, Connor and Hunter, of Ridgefield; Michael, his wife Eileen and their two sons, Matthew and Michael, of Bethel; and Scott, his wife Lisa, their daughter, Alana, and their son, Gavin, of Middlebury.
Services will take place today, Thursday, July 8, at 10:15 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department, 6 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
The Kane Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.