Robert Kanter, age 97, passed away Sunday, September 20, 2026. He was born September 25, 1928, to the late Samuel and Molly (née Polevoy) Kanter. Devoted husband to Lynne (née Cohen) Kanter. Loving father to Mark (Marcy) Kanter, Fred (Kathy) Kanter, and Daniel (Mary Sutton) Kanter. Grandfather to Jeremy (Irina) Kanter, Molli Kanter, Sophie Kanter, Sammy (Zvi Zobin) Kanter, Annie (Justin Kohl) Kanter, Sarah (Jon) Leitman, and Robert Kanter. Great-grandfather to Masha Kanter, Bella Kanter, Archie Kohl, and Mia Kanter-Zobin. Brother to the late Hyman Kanter, Louis Kanter, and Ruth Schlacht.
Bob went to Hughes High School, where the school newspaper described him as having “a ready laugh, an even-tempered disposition, unmistakable walk, and never enough time.” His ambitions were to “be a man, see the world by plane, and go to college.” He achieved all of those goals, and so much more.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati and went on to become a Certified Public Accountant. A recipient of the Workum Scholarship, Bob never forgot the opportunity it gave him to pursue a college education. That experience later inspired his commitment to giving back and helping ensure that others had access to educational opportunities they might not otherwise have been able to afford.
In April of this year, he celebrated his 75th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife, Lynne. They met the day Lynne arrived at the University of Cincinnati, on Bob’s 21st birthday; it was love at first sight. They later reconnected at a Sigma Alpha Mu party, and the rest was history. Bob remembered everything about that night, down to the red socks she had been wearing. The next year, the two married in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
After six different jobs, 11 moves, three kids, and one dog, they settled in Cincinnati in 1962 and became deeply involved in the local Jewish community. Their first stop was New Hope Synagogue for two years, before making their way to Isaac M. Wise Temple. Although they didn’t have enough money at the time to pay for religious school, they were let in after promising to increase their contribution when they could afford to. And they made good on that promise, and more. From Lynne selling candy during Sunday school to Bob serving in various roles to help grow the congregation, they found many ways to give back. Bob was active in the project to build the new (now current) Wise Center on Ridge Road and later served as Temple President. Giving back to the congregation that welcomed him and his family was one of his proudest accomplishments.
In the 1960s, his wife Lynne read an article in *Time* magazine about men in their forties who successfully started their own businesses. She then asked Bob why he couldn’t start his own business too. This inspired him to change careers and build a lasting legacy through real estate.
In 1966, he founded Rookwood Properties, which he built into a diversified real estate company. From the purchase of Lytle Tower, his first apartment acquisition in 1973, he built a broad portfolio of multifamily, industrial, commercial, and retail properties across multiple cities. His leadership and entrepreneurial spirit laid the foundation for everything Rookwood is today, a team of 125 dedicated employees overseeing 26 residential communities with more than 3,300 units, 53 commercial buildings, and two office parks.
More important than his success was how he ran the business. He was known for his honesty and integrity, with employees and partners alike saying you could truly take him at his word. Rookwood recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, having grown consistently through multiple recessions. Over the years, Bob’s involvement became his two sons’ involvement, and now his grandchildren are carrying the business into its third generation. What began as one man’s dream, inspired by a magazine article and a kitchen table conversation with his wife, has grown into a third-generation family business.
Some people are more business-minded, while others are guided more by emotional intelligence. Bob’s unique gift was that he possessed both in equal measure.
Bob was an adoring father to three, grandfather to seven, and great-grandfather to four, and family was everything to him. He was incredibly proud of the family he had built, and he was happiest when everyone was together. He often said his family was “the best thing that ever happened to him and Lynne.”
In addition to the infamous Sunday night family dinners he and Lynne hosted and the countless meals at Losantiville, they celebrated every holiday, family birthday, anniversary, accomplishment, and milestone. They even celebrated things others might find strange or trivial: there were dinners before family members had medical procedures, went away to summer camp, went off to college, moved to a new city, or simply left for a long vacation.
When the grandchildren started to move out of town, those who weren’t at the table were FaceTimed in during these infamous Sunday dinners, without fail. Bob and Lynne, always at the head of the table, would often look down the table mid-meal and say with triumphant pride, “We created all of this!”
Bob didn’t just spend time with his grandkids; he was always deeply engaged in what they were saying and doing. He kept up to date on their hobbies, grades, career moves, relationships, and life decisions. He was always supportive, withheld judgment, and only offered advice when asked.
His strong sense of self and deeply held values were clear in how he lived his life, built his family, and led by example in the community. His generosity and unwavering commitment to
doing what was right were evident throughout his life. Even into his final days, with his mind still as sharp as ever, family members often called him for advice, knowing they’d get a thoughtful, level-headed, judgment-free response, and ultimately knowing he would always be right.
Above all, he was revered for his integrity, a quality that defined both the way he lived and how he treated others.
Philanthropy was a big part of Bob’s life. He took his obligation to repairing the world, or “tikkun olam,” very seriously. He played a major role in numerous charitable and nonprofit organizations. Bob was instrumental in the acquisition of EPP Memorial Hospital, which later became Jewish Hospital of Kenwood. He then spent many years on the board of Jewish Hospital, eventually becoming Chairman of the Board, and subsequently was named Chairman of the Board of the Health Alliance of Cincinnati. He was a founder of the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. He had a long affiliation with Isaac M. Wise Temple, serving as its President in addition to other roles. He also founded the first prostate cancer support group in Cincinnati.
Bob was a strong believer in the highest forms of giving: helping those who couldn’t afford to go to college gain the opportunity to become self-sufficient, and giving anonymously. He gave quietly, generously, and without expectation of recognition.
While he spent much of his time supporting Jewish Hospital and the Jewish Foundation, he made time for other important causes, such as the Lower Price Hill School and baseball team, and Camp Livingston. After receiving a scholarship to attend Camp Livingston as a kid, he returned over 80 years later to help the camp fund its new Health Center in 2024. He always chose to give back based on his own life experiences and to leave the world better than he found it.
Something Bob was most proud of was raising children who were kind, compassionate, active in their communities, and dedicated to making the world a better place. Many became significantly involved with the Jewish Federation and other agencies, served as key supporters, developed philanthropic interests of their own, and went on to raise their own children to do the same. In a particularly meaningful reflection of that legacy, Bob brought all four generations of his family together to fund the donation of an ambucycle to United Hatzalah of Israel.
He loved the Cincinnati Bengals. He watched every game from his favorite chair and always had hope that someday we’d be good again. All of that hope paid off when we finally made it to the Super Bowl in 2022. He was an avid reader, with interests spanning history, biographies, and political books. A lot of people didn’t know he had a creative side, too. He built model cars, buildings, and even Ferris wheels. He also took a pottery class, where he proudly made a clay sculpture of his great-granddaughter Masha’s head.
He and Lynne traveled the world together, visiting Israel, China, Russia, Italy, Scotland, and many other places, always coming back with suitcases full of presents for their grandkids. As their kids started having kids of their own, Bob and Lynne took all three of their children and their families on annual trips to Club Med, as well as other trips to Nemacolin, Naples, and beyond.
By the end of his life, Bob had achieved all three goals he had set for himself in his high school newspaper some 83 years earlier: to “be a man, see the world by plane, and go to college,” and so much more.
Bob lived a full life defined by family, integrity, hard work, generosity, and a commitment to leaving the world better than he found it. He built a business that became a family legacy, gave back to the community that had given him so much, traveled the world, and, most importantly to him, built a family he was immensely proud of.
In the end, Bob died exactly as he wanted to: at home, surrounded by his entire family—his wife, his three children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. The family he had spent a lifetime building was all there with him.
**Funeral services** will be held Tuesday, September 22 at 3 PM at Isaac M. Wise Temple (8329 Ridge Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45236), where guests will be received from 2 PM until time of service. Burial will follow immediately at United Jewish Cemetery Montgomery (7885 Ivygate Ln, Cincinnati, OH 45242). Shiva will be observed Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Kanter residence (7745 French Park Pl, Cincinnati, OH 45237). Services will be LIVE STREAMED at https://www.wisetemple.org/worship/live-stream/.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Isaac M. Wise Temple and Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
