Robert Monnes
1971 - 2023
Robert Hugh Monnes, 51, of Wakefield, passed away at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
Rob was one-of-kind and his warm smile, tremendously kind and caring heart, easy going nature, sense of humor, integrity, intelligence and faith will be missed by many.
Rob was born in Hartford, Connecticut to Virginia (Kuempel) of Nashua, NH and the late Francis Xavier Monnes. Raised and educated in Cromwell, Connecticut, he was a graduate of Cromwell High School where he excelled in both academics and athletics. He earned All-State honors twice in baseball and was also a two-time all-conference basketball player. After graduating in 1989 he went on to play baseball for Brown University and holds several pitching records, including most games pitched in a single season. He was selected to be a member of the All-Ivy League team in 1990. He graduated in 1993 with a degree in both Business Economics and Organizational Behavior.
In 1994 Rob began his career as an auditor at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in Hartford. He obtained his masters in accounting from the University of Hartford in 1995 and went on to become a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. In 2000 he transferred to PwC’s Boston office. After 14 years at PwC, he went on to work as the Director of Internal Audit at Beacon Mutual in Warwick, RI for 4 years and then as the Director of Finance for 3 years.
In 2015 he began his role as the Chief Financial Officer at AmWins Group Benefits in North Kingstown, additionally became the on-site Office Leader a year later. Rob possessed a rare combination of leadership, strength, and determination wrapped by a sense of community, humanity, and humility. He relished getting to know as many of the 150 employees as possible and helped create an office-wide culture that left a lasting impression on everyone who worked for him.
Rob met the love of his life Alicia (Goodson) in 2000 and they married in 2004. Rob’s greatest role in life was that of dad to their two children, Jonah and Avery. He truly loved coaching both kids in baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and flag football. He spent countless hours with them outdoors, skiing, golfing, swimming, paddling, hiking, mountain biking, and doing yard work. He also savored many road trips and travel adventures with his family.
Rob was an inventor at heart. His lifelong dream of holding a patent came true in 2020 when he was awarded one for a clamp-mounted stand-up desk that he designed.
Rob strongly believed in giving back to his community. In addition to coaching, he also served as the Board Treasurer for both the Welcome House of South County and The Avenue Concept.
In addition to his wife, mother and children, Rob is survived by his brother Peter of Chelmsford, MA, and his sisters Jeanne Pricer (Mark) of Houston, TX and Maria Barry (Michael) of Nashua, NH and 13 beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his stillborn son Caleb.
In lieu of flowers please consider donations in Rob’s name to the Welcome House of South County, 8 North Road, Peace Dale, RI 02879. www.welcomehouseofsouthcounty.org
Visiting hours will be on Sunday, March 19th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St, Wakefield. His funeral will be held Monday, March 20th at 10:00 AM at Christ the King Church, 180 Old North Road, Kingston, RI. Burial to follow at St. John’s Cemetery, 65 Johnson Street, Middletown, CT