UPPER MERION – Robert “Bob” Mohan was born June 20, 1926. His parents were William Mohan and Emma Walther Mohan. His mother Emma died when he was only 3 years old. He was raised by his older sisters Mary and Catherine, who were 10 and 12 when their mother died. His father was absent from much of his life. Young Bob was born and lived in South Philadelphia. He graduated from Saint Aloysius Roman Catholic Elementary School. He attended only one day at South Catholic High. After some “disagreement” with school authority he refused to go back. He hid at the Philadelphia Art Museum and Penn Station, eventually going to live with his adult brother in Washington D.C. Barely 16 years old, Bob joined the US Navy in time for World War II.
Though he had no formal education beyond the 8th grade Bob Mohan showed great aptitude to learn. The Navy taught him to transmit coded messages of critical war plans. He attended three Navy code schools to learn esoteric code, including a ten-week course in increasing complexity at Naval bases in Pennsylvania, California and Hawaii. During the war he performed his duty as a code messenger on a submarine chaser in the South Pacific. There his ship pursued Japanese submarines in the vicinity of the Philippines until his boat was torpedoed and sunk. Through his presence of mind, stamina and natural agility he saved himself when almost all hands were lost. When the ship was hit Bob, as the radio operator, had to issue an alarm and send a May Day for help before he could see to his own safety. He then had to make it back onto the deck and abandon ship. Once overboard he and six fellow sailors clung to a small pieces of debris. One by one, the others grew tired of holding on and drifted away. “You could hear the sounds of screams in the water” Mohan told his children as he related his terrifying experience, “and we knew that it was the sharks.” With tears running down his face, the memory still fresh in his mind despite the passage of years Mohan told his children the story only once and never again. He spent three days and three nights on the water before he was rescued.
After the war Bob returned to the states and the Philadelphia area. One of Mohan’s early jobs was as a manager of a local A&P supermarket. On May 30, 1947 Bob Mohan married Claire Jordan Mohan. They had 5 children. William, Patricia, Janice, Robert and Joann.
In 1956 the family moved to the Candlebrook section of Upper Merion and 271 Prince Frederick Street. In 1964 Mohan opened his own insurance office, the business for which he is most fondly remembered. Throughout the Greater King of Prussia area, for close to 40 years Bob took care of auto tags, notary, life, home and automobile insurance. His office, Bob Mohan Nationwide Insurance, was located in a converted house on DeKalb Pike next to Cummins Gas station, right across from the King of Prussia Plaza at 709 West DeKalb. His office hours were more than just 9-5. He often went back at night – plus 3 hours on Saturday.
On February 28, 1973 disaster struck as the Mohan home was engulfed in flames. His daughter Janice recalled that horrible day. She was returning home to find the street blocked and fire engines, police and bystanders filling the street. She asked what was happening and was informed of a “total” house fire. When she asked if it were her neighbors, the Delaneys, a policeman replied “The Mohans,” her own house. Long anguishing moments followed as she searched for family. As she sought to find her mother in the crowd of onlookers. Finally, she saw her. Her mother was okay; the horror of the disaster momentarily forgotten as she was relieved to see both her mother and father were safe. When asked by a young fireman named Paul Carney if there was anything he especially wanted to save Mohan indicated his family photo album. Carney braved the flames and rescued the album.
In the 1980s Bob Mohan decided to retire. For several years his Nationwide office was run by his son Bob Jr. But then a new tragedy struck as Bob Jr. became seriously ill. Bob Sr. came out of retirement to help maintain the business. And when Bob Jr. lost his battle with cancer Bob Sr. ran the office for a few more years until his second and final retirement. Weldon Bliss Insurance succeeded him at the location. In 2008 the building was taken over by Mike Yates State Farm Insurance before being demolished. It is currently the site of the Verizon store.
Mohan truly cared about his clients and their well-being. Several times he paid the premium for his customers when they were late in making payments so that their policy would not lapse and leave them without coverage. On one occasion he helped with a neighbor’s mortgage when the man came to him fearing that his house would go up for Sheriff’s Sale.
Among Bob’s hobbies and interests outside of work were watching sports and gardening. He was a volunteer at Casino Nights and other Mother of Divine Providence Church fundraisers. He chaperoned the MDP teen dances and helped get them started. He was intimately involved and was the prime force with organizing the Mother of Divine Providence Church Harvest Ball dance. Most memorably he volunteered at the annual Mother of Divine Providence Christmas Bazaar. For many years he ran the wheel for the “Cheer Booth,” a roulette style wheel where one put a quarter down on the chance to win a bottle of booze. Countless families recall putting down their 25 cents and waiting breathlessly for him to spin the wheel with the hope of their number winning. One summer he organized a “Meet the Phillies Day.” Baseball players Jay Johnstone, Tommy Hutton and Bobby Wine were on hand to meet and greet at his insurance office. Bob was personal friends with Bobby Wine. He was a big Philadelphia Eagles and Villanova basketball fan. He never missed an Eagles game if he could help it. He would often listen to Phillies games on the radio in his car.
Bob loved celebrating the different holidays. He went above and beyond to make every holiday a special memorable event. He especially decorated for Halloween. The Mohan Haunted house was a well-known not to be missed destination in the neighborhood and beyond. Kids coming from near and far. One year his homemade haunt drew as many as 400 visitors!
The Mohan Halloween House was for many always a two-stop house. You would go once and then after some Trick or Treating elsewhere, you would stop back at Bob Mohan’s. In the kitchen there were “witches’ cauldrons with hot chocolate brew. In the Living room you were greeted with a coffin. The Mohan back yard swimming pool was heated with a tent-like enclosure around it. Part of the Halloween House tour was through the pool enclosure. The heated pool met the cool Autumn air and created a spooky fog. Today, years later some of those former Trick or Treaters think of his Halloween House when they pass by the former Mohan home. His set up was a precursor to today’s elaborate decoration. It is agreed by all that Bob Mohan always went all out for Halloween. It was considered by most the best Halloween destination in town!
In 1995 Bob battled throat cancer. Always in good humor he celebrated “graduating” from chemo treatment with a mortarboard graduation cap. Two of his favorite sayings were – “It’s all attitude” and” “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” He was his children’s biggest cheerleader – always encouraging his kids, and never put any pressure on them. Bob Mohan was more than just an insurance man. He was the kind of man you could call about anything and he would drop what he was doing and help. His friends and clients loved him. He was an asset, icon and friend to the King of Prussia community and more. Bob Mohan died in September of 2001. He was 75.
