Robert Wagner Strovink, of Wading River, created film company, dies at 91

Robert Wagner Strovink was a truly multiskilled and versatile worker. Over the course of his career, the Army veteran lent his talents to a variety of trades, including photographer, filmmaker, screenwriter, and cameraman.

Strovink was also an award-winning disc jockey, a carpenter, and a volunteer Little League coach. For good measure, he took great pride in playing Santa Claus in the Wading River Fire Department parade and for neighborhood kids for two decades.

“My father was multitalented and ahead of his time,” his son, Eric Strovink, of Rocky Point, said. “He led a full life — always on the go and looking for new opportunities. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He was a giving, caring kind of guy, who left his mark in this life in many ways.”

Strovink died of natural causes on July 16 at an assisted living facility in St. James. He was 91.

The longtime Wading River resident could handle any task in the movie industry. One of his greatest achievements was earning an Emmy Award as the cameraman for the CBS series "The Body Human: The Magic Sense" in 1979.

He created his own film company, Strovink Films, in 1965 and worked in various roles including director, cameraman, and screenwriter. He traveled around the world photographing many famous locations and people, including Anne Bancroft, Marlon Brando, Henry Kissinger, Jaclyn Smith, and Billy Joel.

His movie, "The Island Long," was a staple in Long Island high school science classrooms during the 1960s and '70s. Some of his clients included Bell Laboratories, Brookhaven National Lab, Eli Lilly, Pan Am, and Ski-Doo.

Among the prominent people who appeared in his productions were surgeons Dr. Christiaan Barnard and Dr. Michael DeBakey in "How to Prevent a Heart Attack." Prominent actors and figures in his work included William Devane, Cliff Robertson, Olympian Al Oerter, and NFL quarterback Frank Gifford.

“My dad loved everything about film production,” Eric Strovink said. “The creativity, the thought of a show or a film becoming a reality, was special to him.” 

Strovink was born in Boston on Oct. 25, 1934, and grew up in Medford, Mass. He graduated from Malden Catholic High School in 1953 and pursued a degree in broadcasting.

He graduated from Boston University in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, specializing in television and film, while participating in the ROTC program. He served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and the Army Pictorial Center from 1958 to 1960.

While serving in the Army as a second lieutenant unit commander, he met Sheila Ann Connolly, a flight attendant for TWA. A mutual friend introduced the pair and they fell in love. After a short courtship, they were married on Oct. 11, 1958.

“My father always glowed about Mom being his most beautiful achievement,” Eric Strovink said.

The Strovinks built a family of six and relocated to Long Island, moving from Hempstead to Miller Place before settling in Wading River. They were married for 32 years before Sheila Strovink died of cancer in 1990.

Strovink, who was honorably discharged from active duty in 1960, continued to work with the armed forces with top-secret clearance. The Navy hired him to photograph the construction of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module at Grumman's Bethpage facility.

Outside of his work, Strovink lived a rich life rooted in the cinematic world and in the people he loved. He had a quick wit, a good sense of humor, and was always ready to tell a story or make someone laugh.

“My grandfather had a larger-than-life personality that would instantly take over a room,” his grandson, Kyle Strovink, of Rocky Point, said. “He taught me the power of making somebody smile as well as making them feel special.”

Shoreham-Wading River wrestling coach Joe Condon said Strovink was always willing to help people in need. He could steer a runaway from the Little Flower Children's Services back home or give a person on the street who needed food a meal.

Strovink opened his home to foster 13-year-old Keith Osik in 1982. Osik flourished in the Strovink household and graduated from Shoreham-Wading River in 1987. He played baseball at Louisiana State University and went on to play 10 seasons in Major League Baseball.

“When my family structure fell apart, Bob and Sheila opened their home to me," Osik said. "They gave me a comfortable home and a solid foundation to build a life. They gave me love and stability.”

Strovink is survived by his sister, Mary Daukus of California; brother, James Strovink, of Oregon; son, Eric Strovink, and his wife, Christine, of Rocky Point; daughters, Mary Strovink, of California, and Nancy Franke, of Port Jefferson Station; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

A Mass will be held on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, 614 Route 25A, Rocky Point. The Mass will conclude with military honors.