Dr. Robert H. Hickey

September 19, 1935 - June 13, 2005

Robert H. Hickey

Dr. Robert Hamilton “Bob” Hickey, 69, died Monday at his home in Foxborough after a brief illness. He was born in Foxborough on September 19, 1935, the son of Dr. Albert F. Hickey and the late Esther (Brown) Hickey.

Dr. Hickey’s family lived in Foxvale and he attended the Paine School until 1946 when they moved uptown. The family later moved to Boston, where he attended the Boston Latin School, then to Milton, where he graduated from Milton High School in 1953.

Dr. Hickey graduated cum laude with his BA from Boston University in 1957, received his MA in 1963 and PhD in 1964 from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. A worker for civil rights in the South from 1960 through 1971, he was a life-long advocate for the mentally ill, most notably as a psychologist with the Veterans Administration in Virginia and Pennsylvania, where he served as Chief Psychologist of the Highland Drive VA Hospital in Pittsburgh before leaving in 1983 for private practice. During this period, Dr. Hickey was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Greater Pittsburgh Psychological Association, and United Mental Health. He authored the weekly “Ask A Psychologist” article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Dr. Hickey returned home to Foxborough in 1996 to be with his son and elderly mother. He worked as an interviewer with the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts, Boston Campus.

Bob’s family has been well known in Foxborough and Mansfield for generations. His grandmother and her husband ran Schell’s Bakery on Central Street at the corner of Vernal Avenue. Before the bakery, his grandmother owned and operated the Orpheum Theater in Mansfield Center. His father and brother served in the U.S. Army during World War II from Foxborough while his mother volunteered with the American Red Cross. Other significant local ties include his uncle, George Brown, who was foreman of the Foxboro Company printing services plant on Wall Street for many years, retiring in the late 1960’s. His son, Robert H. Hickey Jr. has been a Foxborough Selectman since 2002.

Dr. Hickey is survived by his two children, Robert, Jr. of Foxborough and Melinda of Winchester, VA; two grandchildren, Kevin and Katelyn; his sister, Esther Horrigan of Wellesley; and his cousin Ruth Thompson of Waltham, to whom he was very close. He is pre-deceased by his former wife, Carole Brannon Larrick, his brother, Albert, Jr and parents Albert and Esther (Brown) Hickey.

Funeral Information

Visiting hours were held at the Roberts and Sons Funeral Home on South Street starting at 10 am on Friday, June 17, followed by a memorial service at 12 pm. Burial took place at Spring Brook Cemetery, Mansfield.

Donations Information

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to VistaCare Hospice, 695 Canton Street, Westwood, MA 02090.