Easthampton, MA – Robert Warren Biardi
September 21, 1935 – November 2, 2026
Robert Warren Biardi, known to many simply as Bob, died on November 2, 2026, at age 91. Born in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, on September 21, 1935, he spent a lifetime showing up for his family, his friends, and the young athletes of Easthampton. If there was a game, a fundraiser, a breakfast, or a banquet that helped young people get involved in sports, there was a good chance Bob would be there.
Sports were a lifelong love, but supporting the next generation was at the heart of Bob’s commitment. He coached Easthampton Little League All-Stars for several years, including the 1981 team that advanced farther than any Easthampton team had before it. He was an assistant coach for American Legion Post 224 baseball and the Easthampton Eagles Hockey Team while his son, Gary, played both, and he coached softball while his daughter, Terri, played-continuing long after she graduated. His involvement grew well beyond his own children’s teams, reaching young athletes throughout the community.
On August 24, 1985, Easthampton Little League honored Bob’s loyal service as coach, manager, umpire, teacher, board member, and “chief bread supplier.”
Bob’s love of sports spanned a lifetime, from playing high school and college baseball to supporting generations of local athletes. He played adult slow-pitch softball and was a standout in the Easthampton Touch Football League. Known as “Bingo Bob,” he brought his enthusiasm to officiating games and helping young pitchers hone their skills, he could often be heard yelling, “that’s a double deuce!” His community service included the Easthampton Hockey Association board, the Easthampton High School Athletic Booster Club, Mickey Mantle Baseball, and Special Olympics, along with service on the Parks and Recreation Commission beginning in the early 1980s. He was an umpire for the Men’s Softball Independent Umpire Association, Little League, high school, Quabbin Valley, Massachusetts Baseball, and MBUA Umpire Association, and he officiated basketball softball,and baseball throughout Hampshire and Franklin counties and umpired in the Quabbin Valley Over 30 Baseball League for at least a decade. In 2009, he was inducted into the Easthampton Parks and Recreation co-ed softball Hall of Fame. On August 5, 2018, the Hampshire-Franklin Massachusetts Baseball Umpire Association honored his 51 years of umpiring across youth, high school, college, and American Legion baseball, recognizing his fairness, consistency, and integrity. In 2017, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City of Easthampton dedicated a field at Nonotuck Park in his honor-a lasting tribute to his devotion to the game and the community he loved.
Bob leaves his wife of 60 years, Judith (Mohr) Biardi; his daughter, Terri-Jo Brodeur, and her husband, Scott; his grandchildren, Nikki, Tyler, and Kiley; and his stepbrother, Harrison “Whitey” Jenkins.
He was predeceased by his son, Gary Biardi; his father, George Joseph Biardi; his mother, Mabel Ruth (Knowles); his stepfather, Merle Jenkins; and his siblings, Judie Ann Lockwood, Albert Charles Biardi, and Myles “Tiny” Edward Biardi.
His family circle also included Judy’s siblings, their spouses and children, and cousins, including Janet, with whom he shared a lifetime of memories. He was especially close to his mother-in-law, Margaret “Margie” Mohr, who, as the family likes to say, lived to 104 and a half just to keep him in line.
Bob graduated from Manchester High School in Connecticut, attended the University of Connecticut for two years, and graduated from Cornell University, where he had a full baseball scholarship. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army and was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
In 1968, Bob began a long career with Pepperidge Farm. He spent 20 years as a district manager in northern Connecticut and western Massachusetts, followed by another 20 years as a depot manager overseeing distribution in the Northeast. That work gave him another fitting nickname: the “Bread Man.” Bob brought bread to gatherings and just about everywhere else he went-a familiar part of arriving with something to share.
In what his family might call his “free” time, Bob enjoyed trips to Hinsdale, New Hampshire, to watch the dog races and eventually adopted a greyhound named Nikki. He loved horse racing, too, and made many trips to New York with friends. In later years, he was part of the Burger King crew, gathering three mornings a week for coffee and conversation. He was also a true Disney fan, delighted to give, receive, and wear anything Disney including decorating the house. They camped at Disney’s Fort Wilderness for years, and they finally took the plunge and purchased their Disney Vacation Club which remains something his daughter, son in law and grandchildren continue to enjoy.
Bob’s family extends heartfelt thanks to Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst for the exceptional care he received in his final days.
Calling hours will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Mitchell’s Funeral Home, 15 Park Street, Easthampton. The funeral will take place at noon on Monday, November 9, at Mitchell’s, followed by burial with military honors at Brookside Cemetery. A gathering will follow at the Northampton Elks Lodge, 17 Spring Street, Florence, Massachusetts.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to Easthampton Little League, P.O. Box 1, Easthampton, MA 01027, or to Special Olympics Massachusetts, 512 Forest Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. For Special Olympics donations, please note “Hampshire County program” in the memo line. Online gifts may also be made at www.specialolympicsma.org and designated in Bob’s memory. Both organizations were near and dear to his heart, and gifts in his name will continue the support for athletes that meant so much to him.
For all the games he coached, the calls he made, and the young people he supported, Bob leaves a legacy of being there.
In his honor: Play ball.
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