Rob A. Gentile is the son of Italian immigrants. His father worked in a steel mill, and so Gentile grew up in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Gentile has spent his career as a sales engineer in the steel industry while married to his wife, Melanie, for over 30 years. Together, they have devoted themselves to their special needs daughter, Maria, who is in her twenties, and whom Rob refers to as “pure spirit.”
Throughout her childhood, he grappled with difficult questions about prayer and why children must suffer. Answers came in a sudden and unexpected way—at age 56 he had a massive heart attack, then flatlined, and had a near-death experience (NDE). Self-discovery and spiritual awakening continued while waiting to receive a donor heart. "Quarks of Light" is his first book.