Antiques and folk art dealer Robert Lindsay Thayer, 59, died at his home December 8.

Bob Thayer was born October 19, 1949, in Alton, Ill., the son of Joan (Lindsay) Thayer and the late John Thayer. He was raised in St Paul, Minn., and moved to New York City at age 25. He later relocated to Woodbury, Conn., to open an antiques shop and raise a family.

Said Holly Wesley, a fellow antiques dealer, “Bob will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He was an icon in the field of folk art and fine antiques. He strived to seek out objects that have original surface, which he believed traces their history and importance. He was devoted to the research of such objects, and succeeded in proving that it does make a difference when purchasing rare and fine antiques. But, most of all, it was Bob’s unrelenting sense of humor that has endeared him to all of us.”

In addition to antiques, Bob was also the author of two scholarly articles on early American railroading history, the more substantial of which was published just days before his death.

He will be remembered for his love of conversation, his passion for and knowledge of American history and his distinctive, irreverent sense of humor. When not searching for a masterpiece of American antiques, he could be found barbecuing chicken and playing cards with his family.

He leaves his three children, Henry, Mike and Erin; their mother, Pam Thayer of Woodbury; his mother, Joan Thayer; and two sisters and brothers-in-law, Nancy and Larry Haggerty of Crosslake, Minn., and Lindsay and Jack Stroker and their children, Ryan, Robby and Chelsea, of Charlotte, N.C.

Friends of the family paid their respects at the Thayer residence in Woodbury on December 13. The Woodbury Funeral Home of Munson⁌ovetere was in charge of arrangements. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492.