Norwood resident and World War II veteran Robert A. Theiral passed away on Aug. 14 from a blood clot related to a hip injury. He was 93.

A first generation American and former employee of Peter A. Frasse & Co., Theiral was a mainstay in the Williamsbridge Oval, just across the street from where he had lived since 1968.

One of two sons born to Austro-Hungarian immigrants Maria Zeka and Rudolf Theiral, Theiral spent his formative years in the Bronx, including his 1938 marriage to Josephine M. Haddoc, and continued to reside in the borough until the start of the Second World War.

Drafted in 1942, Theiral served as a member of the 11th Armored Division of the United States Army. The “Thunderbolts,” as the division called themselves, saw action throughout France and took part in the liberation of both the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps in Austria. In 1985, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History recognized their role with the division’s designation as a liberating unit.

After his discharge from the army in 1946, Theiral moved to Oregon and became a member of the Military Police at Camp Whitehead where one of his primary functions was to guard German POWs. After his divorce the following year, Theiral returned to his native Bronx and took up residence on Summit Avenue, within earshot of Yankee Stadium, where he lived until 1968 when he moved to the location on Reservoir Oval he would call home for the rest of his life.

Back in New York, Theiral married his second wife, Betty Eule, in 1949 and was employed as a manager at Safeway supermarkets. Later, he rose through the ranks at the steel manufacturer Peter A. Frasse & Co. to become an executive assistant. After his retirement, Theiral stayed busy working as a runner on Wall Street and even took part in several grand juries over the years.

In his spare time Theiral would often visit the New Jersey home of his stepson Kenneth Eule, as well as people-watch in various locations throughout Manhattan. As recalled by his son, Richard Theiral of Riddle, Oregon, his father was most definitely a people person. Accompanied by his wife, who died in 1989, the pair made these journeys simply because they “just enjoy people.”

Theiral’s passion for dogs was a large part of his life as well, well documented by the four “Ladies” that kept him company throughout the years. The latest addition, the German Shepherd mix “Lady 4” was, along with her owner, one of the many familiar faces that could be seen in the Oval on any given day.

Robert Theiral is survived by his son Richard, stepson Kenneth, five grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.