Honorable Robert Sise

Robert J. Sise, 90, of Amsterdam died Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center in Schenectady surrounded by his loving family.

Bob was born in Albany, New York on January 15, 1926. He grew up in Menands and Amsterdam, the only child of the late Michael J. Sise and Florence (Hayes) Sise. He was a graduate of St. Mary’s Institute of Amsterdam, attended Union College of Schenectady, completed the US Navy’s V12 Officers’ Commissioning Program at the University of Notre Dame and was commissioned an Ensign in January of 1945. Thereafter he shipped out to the Pacific where he was training to be part of the first wave of the invasion of Japan. Thankfully, the war ended in August of that year. On July 1, 1946, while assigned to the USS McKinley, Ensign Sise participated in Operation Crossroads thereby witnessing the first nuclear test on the Bikini Atoll. Following an honorable discharge, he returned home to study law at Albany Law School graduating in January, 1949. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in June, 1949. He was engaged in the general practice of law in Amsterdam from June 1949 through 1962. Early on in his legal career, he was also a professional baseball player. Initially, in 1948, he played third base for the Nyack Rockies of the North Atlantic League. In 1951, he pitched for the Gloversville-Johnstown Glovers of the Canadian American League. He was referred to as “lawyer by day - hurler by night”. As he would later say in providing a self assessment, “I didn’t have much of a fastball. But I did have a pretty good curve!” In 2012, he was inducted into the Fulton County Baseball & Sports Hall of Fame.

Judge Sise’s public service career began in 1958 when he was appointed Assistant County Tax Attorney for Montgomery County. Thereafter, he was elected to the Children’s Court, Montgomery County in 1960. He was re-elected Family Court Judge in 1966. While Family Court Judge, he was instrumental in bringing a Big Brothers Association chapter to Montgomery County. In September of 1973, he was appointed by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller to the Court of Claims to immediately serve as an Acting Supreme Court Justice handling serious criminal matters in The Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. After serving in New York City for two years, he returned home in October, 1975, at which time he began his career as an administrator in the New York State court system. Initially he was appointed Administrative Judge for the Family Courts of the 3rd Judicial District. In June, 1977, Chief Administrative Judge Richard Bartlett named him Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for the Courts Outside the City. In August, 1983, Chief Judge of the State of New York, Lawrence Cooke, appointed him to the Chief Administrative Judge position in which he oversaw the work of 1,000 trial judges and nearly 10,000 non-judicial employees. Judge Sise was a member of the judiciary for 30 years, 17 of which were dedicated to court administration.


Following his retirement from the bench, in January 1991, he returned to the private practice of law joining his sons’ law firm, Sise & Sise, in Amsterdam, where he practiced full-time until his retirement in 2008 at the age of 82. He was so pleased to return to the practice of law. He often said that it was the noblest of professions and was grateful to be in a position to assist those in need of legal representation. It was upon his return to the practice in 1991 that he served as President of the Montgomery County Bar Association and was instrumental in the formation of a clinic to provide pro bono legal services to persons with limited financial resources, a project being conducted in cooperation with the Legal Aid society of Mid-New York, Inc. He served for six years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc.

For many years while in the private practice, he was a mediator for the Appellate Division of Supreme Court, 3rd Judicial Department, conferencing cases under the Civil Appeals Settlement Program. He was a past President of the Association of Judges of the Family Court of the State of New York; past member, Board of Directors, National Council of Juvenile Court Judges; past Chairman of Advisory Board, St. Mary’s Hospital of Amsterdam and past member of the Board of Directors of that hospital. He was also a past member of the Siena College Board of Associate Trustees.

In addition to his parents, Bob was predeceased by his son, Robert J. Sise, Jr., his grandson, Richard E. Sise, Jr. and his cousin, whom Bob considered his brother, the Reverend John R. Sise. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Theresa A. (Daley), his sons, Michael (Beth), John (Mary), Thomas (Alice), Richard (Connie), William (Angela), Timothy (Kerry),
Joseph (Robin), Bernard (Sara), Rev. Gordon Polenz, whom Bob and Theresa have long considered their 10th son, his daughters-in-law Kathleen and Katherine and twenty-five grand children and eight great-grandchildren to whom he was known as Papa.

Bob Sise loved his friends; Dutch Howlan, Bernie Welch, Mike Dillon, Chris Kouray, and so many more who passed before him. He was so very proud of all of his sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved his baseball, politics, thoroughbred racing, Siena basketball, the 49'ers, camping at Nickerson’s, Nauset Beach sand, Philbrook’s onion rings, Niskayuna football and basketball, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons football and theatre, and so much more, as he thoroughly enjoyed life. Most of all he loved his God, his family and his country.

The Sise family expresses its deep gratitude to the McPartlon family and to their staff at Kingsway Arms Nursing Center for the compassionate care they provided to our Dad and for the genuine sense of loss they conveyed upon his passing.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial which will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Mary’s Church, 156 East Main St., Amsterdam. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Fort Johnson.

Calling hours will be held on Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St. Mary’s Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family desires that memorial contributions be made to The Sisters of
St. Joseph of Carondelet, Latham Provincial House, the Good Sisters who educated Bob and his nine sons at St. Mary’s Institute and Bishop Scully High School of Amsterdam.

Funeral arrangements are by the Riley Mortuary, Inc., 110 Division Street, Amsterdam, NY 12010.