Heaven just got a whole lot more fun — and a whole lot more Irish.
True to form, when Robert (Bob/Bobby/Schultzy) Cadigan decided he was ready, he set his mind to it, made his exit, and no doubt made an entrance. In his final moments, he told stories to his girls, lit up for FaceTime with distant family, and smiled that unmistakable smile as he and his beautiful bride of 54 years, Helena, shared their last kisses on this side.
Robert Stephen Cadigan, Jr. was born October 11, 1950, in Würzburg, Germany, to Lt. Col. Robert S. Cadigan Sr. and Rita (Rabbitt) Cadigan of Hingham, Massachusetts.
An Army brat through and through, Bob grew up moving from post to post before the family settled in Hingham, where he graduated from Hingham High School in 1969. After a brief stop at Norwich University, he enlisted in the Army and served with the Military Police in the United States and Korea.
It was during those years that he met and fell hard for a petite Hartford girl named Helena. They married in 1973, and she followed him from post to post. He never stopped calling her the love of his life.
After the Army, Bob built a long and respected career with 7-Eleven, rising through leadership roles in asset protection, merchandising, and operations. Colleagues and franchisees remember him as “tough but fair” — the kind of leader who developed people and genuinely cared.
Retirement never quite stuck. He and Helen tried Maine, tried Iowa, tried running a home-goods store, and kept finding reasons to keep moving until they finally settled back in Houlton, Maine.
In his later years, Bob slowed down just enough to tell the old stories: soldiers and old friends, the day he met Helen, the pride of being an Irishman and a veteran, and the quiet satisfaction of a life well lived.
He delighted in sunsets, beaches, woodworking, and a good Southern Comfort Manhattan. Most of all, he delighted in his family.
Bob is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helena; daughters Molly (Brian) Matlock and Mary Cadigan; grandchildren Connor, Kayla, Haley, James, and Mia; and a wide circle of friends who will miss his bellowing voice, endless stories, and that Irish smile.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during visiting hours on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), Hingham.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the funeral home at 9:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Paul’s Church in Hingham at 10:30 a.m. Burial will take place at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
For directions and online condolences, visit Keohane Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob’s memory to the Wounded Warrior Project or Cars for Heroes.
To send flowers with the preferred florist or plant a memorial tree, please visit the flower store.