Saying Goodbye to Bob McLean

A memorial service honoring the life of Montclair resident Robert "Bob" McLean will be held on Saturday, June 18 at 10 a.m. at the Union Congregational Church at 176 Cooper Avenue.

A passionate gardener who shared his talents with many aspiring green thumbs around town, Mclean—a lifelong resident of Montclair—died on March 18 at the age of 86.

A friend, Tracey Hill-Bensalemsay, said he was a "truly wonderful man ... loved and admired by so many."

Friends also say he's perhaps best known as the man who opened his organic garden at 51 Gordonhurst Avenue to inquisitive visitors.

McLean grew up in Upper Montclair and lived in his childhood home until his death. Indeed, he began gardening at the age of five, begging his mother for seeds, a request that led to a lifetime of gardening the same plot at the same address.

Born on Feb. 16, 1925, McLean was a dentist by profession who was drafted into the U.S. Air Force in 1953 and eventually stationed in the Azores.

Over time, though, he gave up dentistry and pursued his favorite hobbies instead.

Not only was he an avid stamp collector, but he expended great energy on organic gardening, which became a major focus of his life until his death.

At his home on Gordonhurst, McLean created habitats for both animals and plants in an outdoor area he willingly shared with others. Indeed, he took many gardeners under his wing including well-known local organic gardener Pat Kenschaft. He cared deeply about healthy eating and was a donor to many local animal and conservation organizations.

His favorite charity was the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and so friends suggest that donations made in his memory be sent to: www.bbg.org/ or BBG, 900 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225.