Few alumni have embodied the spirit of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy quite like Robert Crisafi, Ph.D., ’56. He passed away on April 8 at age 93, leaving behind a legacy of pharmaceutical innovation and a deep, enduring bond with the institution that shaped his life and career.
While Dr. Bob — as he was affectionately known — established a dozen pharmaceutical companies and helped revolutionize medication safety in hospitals, it was his profound fondness for his family, faith and alma mater that stood above all else.
From 1953 to 1956, Dr. Bob found his path at UF. He and his new bride, Barbara, arrived in Gainesville with modest means, but a scholarship awarded on his first day of pharmacy school opened doors that would shape his future. One of only five graduate students in the industrial pharmacy program at the time, he worked tirelessly in a lab on the fourth floor of Leigh Hall, developing strong relationships with his peers and learning from faculty mentors who left a lifelong impression.
“When I really think about it, my successes in life can be attributed to my education at the University of Florida,” Crisafi said in his later years. “That is an excellent reason why I continue to be connected to my alma mater.”
Dr. Bob and Barbara always felt it was important to give back to the UF College of Pharmacy and repay the scholarship he was given. Their commitment began with their first gift in the 1960s and continued for decades, including several major gifts to fund the construction of a medicinal chemistry research lab and create a chair in the Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy to study medication safety in hospitals. But it was their most recent philanthropic effort, the Crisafi Challenge, that deepened their ties to the college and university they loved.
When Dr. Bob and Barbara created the Crisafi Challenge in 2015, they set out to build a legacy of support for future Gator pharmacists. Starting with a $10,000 gift and a call to alumni and friends to match it, the first challenge brought in more than $30,000 and funded scholarships for eight incoming students.
The challenge’s overwhelming success inspired an annual tradition. By 2018, the Crisafis increased their matching gift, and the campaign raised over $115,000. A decade later, the Crisafi Challenge has become the college’s most successful recruitment scholarship effort, raising over $1 million and awarding 125 scholarships to students proudly known as Crisafi Scholars.
“Dr. Bob truly believed in the power of our students and the transformative impact of a UF pharmacy education,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor in the UF College of Pharmacy. “His passing is a tremendous loss, but his legacy will endure in every Crisafi Scholar who benefits from the generosity and vision he shared with our college.”
UF honored Dr. Bob with its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2017, a prestigious recognition reserved for graduates who have excelled professionally or served the university with distinction. In 2011, he received the UF College of Pharmacy’s Outstanding Pharmacy Alumnus Award, the college’s top honor for extraordinary lifetime accomplishments.
Dr. Bob’s passing follows Barbara’s death in September 2024. The couple was married for 71 years and is survived by two children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
The UF College of Pharmacy joins the Crisafi family in mourning their passing. A memorial service will be held for Robert Crisafi on April 14 in Winchester, Massachusetts.
