Robert D. Rento, M.D., 80, of Little Falls, NJ, passed away at home on February 24th after being diagnosed with brain cancer in September. The beloved husband of Beverly (nee Tate) for 56 years and father of their eight children, Dr. Rento left a legacy of devotion to his family, his patients, and the organizations he served. He never fully retired his passion for practicing pediatrics. Raised in Clifton, NJ, Dr. Rento attended Seton Hall University then gained early acceptance to, and received his medical degree from, Creighton University in Omaha, NE, in 1956. As a medical student, he worked at St. Joseph's Orphanage for three years, caring for nearly 500 children. It was there that his love for pediatrics was born. After serving two years in the U.S. Navy as a Medical Corps Lieutenant, he completed a residency at the Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., and then returned to Clifton. In 1961, he established what would become Notchview Pediatrics, growing it from a two-doctor practice that made 24-hour "black bag" house calls to a highly regarded, multi-doctor practice over the course of 40 years. Although he retired from full-time active practice in 2000, Dr. Rento continued to work at Notchview part-time until shortly before his death. In addition to being the managing partner in a thriving private practice, Dr. Rento made important contributions to area hospitals. At St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, he was one of the first board certified pediatricians, the Associate Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics for 50 years, and a leading proponent for the establishment of the pediatric intensive care unit. At the General Hospital Center of Passaic, he was a senior staff member of the Department of Pediatrics for 39 years and a member of the Executive Board Advisory Committee for the development of a Level II Nursery. Dr. Rento also served as a senior staff member and past director of nurseries at St. Mary's Hospital in Passaic. Dr. Rento's role in evaluating and examining special needs children was especially meaningful to him. For over 40 years he evaluated students at Passaic County Technical Institute where he was known for making a connection with each and every child. "This was not so much a job to him as it was a calling," recalled one nurse. Dr. Rento performed a similar role for 15 years for the City of Clifton's Child Study Team and was a member of the School Physician Panel at the Paterson Public Schools. In 1992, Dr. Rento was named to New Jersey Magazine's "Top 100 Doctors." When he was honored as the first recipient of the St. Joseph's Kendrick P. Lance Distinguished Physician Award in 2000, it was that noted he was "one of the best known and best loved pediatricians in the state." Dr. Rento took advantage of his semi-retirement to reach far beyond his Clifton roots, traveling to Nepal, China, and Brazil with volunteer, non-profit medical teams to provide aid to children. These trips touched him deeply and re-invigorated his desire to continue his life's work as a physician. In 2009 he received the Humanitarian Award from the Knights of Columbus for this work. Dr. Rento's passion for medicine was matched by his devotion to family. He was a family man and hands-on father, helping Beverly raise eight children and in later years, care for grandchildren. In his scarce free time, he loved to labor in his garden and yard, swim laps at the "Y", ski with his children and grandchildren, vacation with family in Duck, NC, work on endless home projects, and even discovered in himself a latent painter of watercolors. A devout Catholic, he was a parishioner at Holy Angels Church in Little Falls and a regular at the Sunday Radio Mass at which his brother, Father Richard Rento, is presider. Dr. Rento will be remembered for his strength of character, for "getting the job done," for his love of story-telling, his boundless energy, and perhaps mostly for the kind, competent manner in which he cared for those in need and all those he loved. Besides his wife, Dr. Rento is survived by eight children, Ann Mack of Clifton, NJ; Susan Cottle (John) of Basalt, CO; Bob Rento of New York, NY; Dr. Richard Rento (Lisa) of Newport News, VA; Tom Rento of Albany, NY; Barbara Jane Baeza (Ben) of Corona, CA; Joseph Rento (Toni) of Little Falls, NJ; and David Rento (Lin) of Montville, NJ. He also leaves behind 19 cherished grandchildren; two brothers, Reverend Richard Rento of Lavallette, NJ, and David Rento (Roberta) of Kinnelon, NJ; and a sister, Barbara Penola (Charles) of Kinnelon, NJ. Funeral Services will be 1:00 pm Saturday at Holy Angels RC Church, 465 Main St., Little Falls. Private Cremation to follow. Visitation on Friday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at Holy Angels Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center Foundation, PO Box 29000, Newark, NJ 07101-9888. Bizub-Parker Funeral Home, Little Falls is in charge of arrangements