Chase Alumni Association

In Memoriam: Robert Laport, 85

Specialized in Latin American Development

Robert Edmund “Bob” Laport died on April 14, 2019 at the age of 85 near his home in Chapel Hill, NC.

Born in Montclair, NJ, on October 11, 1933, Laport spent his early years in Montreal, Canada. His family returned to New Jersey after WWII. He played ice hockey at St. Lawrence University and volunteered on ski patrol. He transferred to Upsala College, competed in Decathlon and even played violin with the New Jersey State Symphony. 

After a stint in the Air Force, Laport graduated from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. As an International Banker specializing in Latin American development, he worked for Chase Manhattan Bank right out of graduate school, then Chemical Bank, Libra Bank in London and American Express International Bank. Laport and his wife, Geraldine (Geri), lived in Puerto Rico and Buenos Aires, but finally settled in Brooklyn Heights where they raised their daughter.

Laport retired early from banking and moved in 1986 to Chapel Hill, where he had first met his wife. He earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina and worked several more years as a consultant with USAID.

Among his survivors are his wife, daughter and grandson.