In Memoriam

Robert M. Fiore

Obituary

by his wife, Jane Crawford

October 30, 2019

Bob Fiore
1964 graduation

Robert Masters Fiore was a really good man. That description may seem overly simplistic, but I think that we can all agree that actually, at this moment, being a good man is a great accomplishment.

He was incredibly generous; he had a talent for making people feel at ease and welcome. This was a skill that made him such a great documentary cinematographer — putting people at ease in front of the camera — but also made him a great friend, and a trusted confidante. He found joy (and humor and inspiration) — in the stuff of everyday life, be it a good meal or a glass of wine, a fascinating idea or a huge laugh. He reveled in the company of friends and family, the beauty of the natural world, and the adventure of exploring foreign worlds. He was a modest man but also very proud of the films he made — proud of their endurance and continued relevance — knowing they could be experienced long after he was gone. 

Bob directed a number of films including Pumping Iron (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Winter Soldier (about the Vietnam Vets). He filmed eight video and film installations for and with artists such as Richard Serra, Robert Smithson, Dennis Oppenheim, Joan Jonas, Robert Morris, and others. He shot live concert performances for Harry Belafonte, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Murphy (RAW), The Rolling Stones (Gimme Shelter), and Barbara Kopple's No Nukes, as well as theatrical features including Greetings by Brian de Palma (Robert de Niro's first film), and Festival Express (with Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead). Bob filmed many rock videos, TV music and documentary programs, news programs (60 Minutes and CBS News), commercials and political campaign spots (e.g., Bill Clinton).

Bob Fiore was a kind, gentle, patient, intelligent, witty, creative man. He was a really good man.

Bob graduated from Yale in the Class of 1964. While at Yale, he was a member of Manuscript. He died in Connecticut on July 14, 2019, after a long, complicated illness. He is survived by his wife, Jane Crawford, his daughter, Jessamyn Fiore, and a sister, Betsy Foreman.