Remembering Bob D’Uva – Tanya Signore

By Tanya Signore – special to RINewsToday

Bob D’Uva was a man who used his talents – a great man who was known on Federal Hill, and well beyond. A creative guy that was kind and helpful to others. A man who believed in newsprint and newspapers continuing on. He created The RI Echo newspaper, which will have its 100^th issue coming up this April.  He touched the lives of so many people. He was super friendly and is already missed by many.  

The last time I saw Bob was at a Christmas party for all of the staff at The RI Echo newspaper.  This was in December of 2019 at Anthony’s restaurant on Federal Hill.  This past year we did not have a gathering due to COVID-19 concerns.

Bob and I hardly ever spoke on the phone.  My column that I write for The RI Echo is emailed over each month, so there is no calling involved, just mainly emails.  We may speak on the phone three to four times a year, or not even that.  When we do it is always a business or networking call.  It was weird that on February 5^th I got to talk to Bob.  I was driving to Twin Oaks restaurant for lunch.  I called him to ask if I could be featured on the cover of The RI Echo at some point this year.  I am starting up my own podcast / talk show (you can check out an episode on my Facebook page – Keep Moving Ahead – and scroll down to Tanya’s Talk Show 2/14/2021 ~ Trial Episode).  I explained about the podcast to Bob and he said, “ok, we can see about making it a cover story”. 

Then on Wednesday, February 17^th I was on a business call with comedian John Perrotta.  At the end of the call, he asked if I still wrote for The RI Echo.  I said yes.  Then he went on to say all of these positive things about Bob D’Uva.  How he is a great guy, please tell him I said hello, etc., etc.  It was the next day that I received a call with the sad and shocking news that Bob passed away.  It was so strange as his name was just mentioned the prior day, and then there was that phone call we shared, just two weeks prior.

I attended the beautiful funeral mass for Bob, at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in North Providence.  The priest mentioned how Bob did use his gifts / talents.  So many of us do not do that in life.  There was a program booklet with all photos that showed happy memories of Bob, his family, friends, etc.  

At the end of the mass and ceremony, his beautiful daughter, Liz, gave a strong speech about having a great man like Bob as a father.

Bob and his late wife and two daughters are all creative, fun and nice people.  There is more than one great chef in their family, and they do know how to enjoy life.  Many of us are happy that The RI Echo newspaper will still go on in his memory.  I truly believe Bob would want it to be this way.

Editor’s Note: In the small Rhode Island media market of Rhode Island, there are many outlets that are quietly churning out the news every day. Some of them are owned by one person, or just a small handful of people involved. When we lose a “news guy” – who was also a devoted “community guy” like Bob, the ramifications can resound from border to border. We will miss Bob, and we, too, are happy to learn that the paper will go forward in his memory – and honor. Thank you to Tanya, who agreed to write this memory for us. Look for her writing in The RI Echo.

_____