Robert Carl Giesing

Rob was born on November 15, 1968, to Mary Margaret (Miller) and Richard Joseph Giesing. He married Amy McNeal on July 2, 2005, and gained two stepchildren, Darby and Grant McNeal.

Rob graduated from Griffin High School in 1987, and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in December 1992, with a degree in Civil Engineering. He was a licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor in Training. He worked for Ozyurt and Stone Inc. as a civil engineer, the Illinois Department of Transportation/Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources as a Senior Permits Engineer, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Realty & Capital Planning as the Region IV Civil Engineer.

Rob enjoyed the outdoors and camping, hiking, biking and hunting. He specifically picked Southern Illinois University at Carbondale because the university had trees, outdoor spaces, and nearby recreational areas. He also chose a career in civil engineering, which allowed him to combine his analytical, problem solving, and creative abilities with his love of the outdoors.

Rob loved his family and friends more than anything. He would be the first person to volunteer to help accomplish any task/problem they needed to be solved. That’s probably why most of his own projects were only 90% complete. (😊) To know Rob is to know what a true friend is.

Rob enjoyed traveling and took several trips with his family. They would go to Fort Meyers Beach every Christmas break to get away from the gloomy Illinois weather and went on various other family vacations and camping trips.

From day one, Rob treated his stepchildren as his own children and loved them with his whole heart. He loved teaching his stepchildren how to fish, camp and prepare for anything outdoors. He attended school events from grade school through high school. He visited them at Ole Miss and always made sure to check the inventory at their apartments, to see what he needed to get on his Walmart run before he headed home.

Rob was best known for his kind, giving and helping spirit.

He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Giesing.

He is survived by his mother, Mary Margaret Giesing; wife, Amy McNeal; stepchildren, Darby and Grant McNeal; sisters, Michele Mordacq (John), Terri Sroka (Dave), Cindy Heffron (Dave), and Patricia Giesing; nephews, Brandon Dollarhide, and Justin and Josh Heffron; and nieces, Leslie Dollarhide, Amanada and Jessica Mordacq.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 23, 2023, at 1 p.m. at Butler Funeral Home, 900 South 6th Street, Springfield, for family and close friends. A celebration of life will be held January 20, 2024, at 12 p.m. at the Curve Inn, 3219 South 6th Street, Springfield, for all family and friends.