March 10, 2026
Provided Image/93.3 WMMR
Pierre Robert will get a bench memorialized in his name at Rittenhouse Square this spring. The longtime WMMR DJ died in October at 70 years old.
Pierre Robert, the longtime WMMR host who died in October, will be memorialized with a bench at Rittenhouse Square this spring.
Friends of Rittenhouse Square, the nonprofit that preserves the scenic park in Center City, said it will celebrate Robert's 44-year career at the rock station by dedicating the bench where he sat to read a book three days before his death. Robert was 70.
"Rittenhouse Square was Pierre Robert’s favorite place in the city," the nonprofit said. "It was where he read, reflected, people-watched, and felt most at peace."
Robert's final Instagram post on Oct. 26 was a photo of him reading on a bench at the park.
"Sunday afternoon in Philly in my beloved Rittenhouse Square, with a great book, a cup of La Colombe, watching the world lazily drift by … pretty close to perfection!" Robert wrote.
Pierre's radio career started in the former WMMR studio at 19th and Walnut streets, where the DJ sometimes sat on the third-floor windowsill during his midday show. The station has since relocated to Bala Cynwyd.
Robert's death drew a wave of reflections from artists he had interviewed over the years, including Jon Bon Jovi and the Offspring. WMMR later held a memorial concert for Robert at the Fillmore Philadelphia in December.
Friends of Rittenhouse Square had already raised more than $9,000 as of Tuesday afternoon to support the memorial for Robert and other beautification projects at the park.
"Pierre’s voice was part of the daily rhythm of life, a steady thread that connected music lovers across neighborhoods and generations," the nonprofit said.
A portion of the fundraiser proceeds will be donated to Mural Arts Philadelphia for the creation of a mural in Robert's honor at a location to be determined. The bench at Rittenhouse Square is expected to be dedicated in May.
