September 6, 2021
Soule, Robert G.
Robert Grove Soule, 63, of Westwood, died peacefully on August 31, 2021, surrounded by his family. Bob always considered his family to be his greatest accomplishment and the source of his pleasure and pride. Bob is survived by his wife of 39 years, Maura Kelley Soule, and their three children, Courtney Kelley Soule of Woburn, Katherine Winsor Soule of Boston, and Zachary Augustus Soule of Boston, as well as a brother, Augustus Whittemore Soule of Kona, Hawaii.
Born in Boston, Bob grew up in Dedham, spending idyllic summers at his family’s home in Duxbury, where he swam, fished, and generally engaged in boyish high jinks. A graduate of the Dexter School, Milton Academy (1975), Harvard College (1979), and Suffolk Law School (1983), Bob valued education, and he treasured his friendships from those years even more. He maintained strong relationships with his childhood friends throughout his life, and he continued to make lifelong friends along the way. A kind, fun, humorous man, it was easy to get along with Bob. His generosity and thoughtfulness have left indelible impressions on those lucky enough to know him.
He met his future wife and best friend, Maura, in 1981 at a “bar review” pub night while they were both in law school, and he knew immediately that he had met the love of his life and the girl he would marry. They married in 1982, raised three children together, traveled the world, and cherished every day in one another’s company.
In addition to his love of his family and friends, Bob loved his work underwriting, insuring, and managing large commercial real estate transactions. He served as Vice President, Manager, and Senior Underwriting Counsel for Commonwealth Land Title’s Boston National Commercial Services operation, joining the company in 1993 and growing the Boston operation from a small outpost to a nationally recognized industry leader. Prior to his time at Commonwealth, Bob held roles as Northeast Regional Counsel at Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and Assistant Regional Counsel at First American Title Insurance Company.
A leader in the field of real estate law, Bob was a longtime member of the Abstract Club, an invitation-only club limited to 100 lawyers in Massachusetts. In addition to serving as a past President of the New England Land Title Association, Bob served on the Massachusetts Real Estate Bar Association’s Executive Committee, Title Standards Committee, and Title Insurance and National Affairs Committee. He was a frequent lecturer and contributor to continuing legal education programs for a variety of groups and organizations, including the MBA, REBA, MCLE, BBA, MCA, and NELTA.
As an avid history buff and a direct descendant of several Pilgrims, he was a member of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, and he enjoyed learning about and tracking his family history. He was a member of the Phoenix-S.K. Club, the Fin, Fur, and Feather Club, a local sporting club, and the Westwood Gun Club. In addition, Bob reliably contributed to many worthy causes, including those close to his heart and those important to his friends.
Bob loved life. He loved Boston sports, especially the Boston Red Sox, and he spent countless afternoons and nights at Fenway Park, cheering his team to victory (sometimes). He loved trivia, numbers, and anything that challenged his mind, and he often could be found correcting contestants’ answers to questions on Jeopardy or completing a crossword puzzle. Bob loved to travel with his family, visiting nearly every corner of the globe, and he loved to explore locally, seeking out hidden gems and live music. He also loved to spend time with his family and friends at home, swimming in the pool, hosting dinners on the back deck, mixing up the world’s best pomegranate martinis, and sharing laughter and memories.
Everyone adored, respected, and trusted Bob. He lived by the Golden Rule, always treating others with compassion and understanding. A brilliant man, he tackled any challenge, including his battle with cancer, with a pragmatic approach, unwavering optimism, and a sense of humor. Bob fought his disease valiantly, determined not to be defeated by it. He continued to enjoy his time with family and friends, and he led by example how to meet adversity with courage and grace. He was very grateful for the kindness and support shown to him by all.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for September 25th at 11 AM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Dedham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to support the research efforts of his doctor and friend, Dr. Toni Choueiri, at http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/Robert_Soule
Comments(15)
Dear Maura, Courtney, Katherine and Zachary,
Please accept our sincerest condolences to you all, for such a loss of an amazing person! Our hearts are so heavy as we know yours are too. We don’t know of any other person who spent their “dash” (That little line that gets drawn between birth year and passing year)as kind, generous and loving as your husband and father! As someone who has been the recipients of his generosity and friendship, he made such a huge difference in our lives, and showing us the example of how we want to treat others, to emulate him. He left an amazing legacy in all of you, and we know how proud of you he was, as he spoke with pride about you all the time. We will carry his impact and memory in our hearts forever. We love you friend-we will never forget you! Such a kind person who will be deeply missed. Love and many prayers, John, Patty, Scott and Kyle XO
I will miss the laugh and smile from Bob. He truly was blessed with the gift to make friends. I always enjoyed talking about various topics with him, a honest man with a honest heart.
I will miss you, you put smiles on my kids faces with your generosity. Thank you for your kindness but more importantly Thank you for being you.
Farewell my friend
I was fortunate to know Bob and Maura at the beginning of their legal careers and remember how happy they were when they first met. Maura, I’m sorry for your loss but happy to read about the wonderful life and family that you and Bob built together. May his memory be a blessing.
I have known Bob and work with him over the years on quite a number of commercial title insurance transactions. Bob was always the gentlemen, was practical and always did it right. I never heard a cross word or complaint no matter how difficult the transaction. He always spoke of family and his travels. He was a true friend and will be missed.
It was my great fortune to meet Bob in the late 1990s when Lawyers Title and Commonwealth merged. I was a Lawyers Title national commercial services manager from Ohio and fortunately we had a lot of work in Bob’s area on which he assisted my office. Bob was the consummate gentleman and commercial title professional. Too often we had difficult issues yet Bob found a way to resolve the difficulties. Over the years our friendship with him and his office grew. We had numerous bets between our offices on sporting events. And helped celebrate those “extra” Boston holidays. Oftentimes I ended up sitting with Bob at Company meetings. He always enlivened discussions with his erudite and learned questions and comments. It was a pleasure being in his company. Over the years we experienced his generosity by being able to attend a number of Boston sports events. We teased him mercilessly about the bad Boston winters yet he always had a witty response. The staff in my office felt very close to Bob’s staff. I believe we shared some close friendships. Bob was so proud of his family and their accomplishments. He was never one to brag or share too much to an outsider , but occasionally you could get a personal story out of him. He was always quick to credit that their children got their smarts from their mother. It was my good fortune to meet and work with Bob over the years. I learned a lot and laughed a lot. He was an intense positive influence on the national commercial staff inside LandAmerica and later with Fidelity National. Though I have been retired for 6 years, I can still hear his voice and recall with fondness our frequent conversations. Bob contributed a wonderful work experience for his staff and his clients. And a mountain of experiences for his family. We miss him greatly.
Maura, I am so very sorry. It makes me sad to see that such a wonderful human being died way too young. My heart goes out to you and your family. I will always cherish the time that I spent with you both. Love, Pam
Maura and family:My deepest condolences.
So sad to hear about Bob’s passing. He was such a great guy and always took the high road.
His legacy will endure.
Nowell.
Dear Maura, Courtney, Katherine and Zachary, I wish there were words I could say to help ease the sadness I know you are living through right now. Bob was an amazing person — a wonderful colleague, friend and just the type of person the world needs more of. So proud of all of his children and so much in love with that person that is his best friend and wife for so many years. You are an amazing family and he will live on in all of you. I know that does not help much now, but please know in time you will smile and laugh at all the times that were “Bob” as you remember the wonderful person you called husband, dad and friend. I am thinking of all of you and just wanted to send my love and support.
To Maura and the family. I was so sorry to hear about the passing of Bob. He was always very friendly and a pleasure to talk with. I especially enjoyed having the children in my church school classes. His family is a wonderful legacy.
All of us at Precision Corporate Services, Inc. express our deepest sympathy to all of you. Sincerely, Jeff Speredelozzi & Bill DeNapoli and Staff
I was so saddened to hear my family Historian had passed. Bob was smart, kind, caring and cool and is sorely missed. My love and hugs go out to all the family who must mourn him now and send you energy and strength to get through these tough times.
I remember Bob Soule from Dexter and Milton and seem to recall he was a fine athlete in those days, playing the line, as a Massasoit, and the Pumpkin heads. The Soule’s were always a generous family and I am sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family.
I first met Bob about 45 years ago when I was dating his sister, Martha. I spent many dinners with Gus and Whit and Bob and Martha at their Dedham home. One of the exciting parts of the dinner was waiting for Bob to say something we thought was hilarious but usually brought raised eyebrows from Gus! Bob was always entertaining but beneath that was a very thoughtful and kind human being. We will miss you Bob and condolences to Maura and their children.
Maura,
We send our heartfelt condolences to you and your children. We can only imagine this is an unbelievable loss. We loved reading about Bob’s extraordinary life – how very fortunate you all are to have had him in your lives for so long, though not nearly long enough. You are in our hearts and prayers.
With love,
Susan and Curt Gilmore (parents of Madison and Chase)
Maura,
I worked with Bob for 6 years at FATIC and remember him fondly. He was a big presence, had a great sense of humor and taught me most of what I know about title insurance. I am so sorry for your loss. I just recently became aware of his passing.
You and your family are in my prayers.
Joanne Jones