Robert "Bob" B. DeVries

Robert B. DeVries (Bob) of Cary, N.C. and formerly of Emerald Isle, N.C. passed from this life on Friday, July 6, 2018. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, son Donald and wife Trisha DeVries, daughter Valerie and husband Scott Cole, son Kevin and wife Julie DeVries and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, David and Hannah DeVries, daughters Makenna, Kaelyn, Hadley and son Owen; Ben DeVries; Joshua and Morgan Cole and son Ryder; Kyle and Lauren Olding; Kaitlyn and Rob Sottile; Caroline DeVries; and Joe DeVries. He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel and Estelle DeVries and three brothers Buddy, Jack, and Dan.

Bob was born and raised in New Jersey. He graduated from Point Pleasant Beach High School and from the University of Virginia. After college, he spent 2 years in the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia and in Germany in the Honor Guard at the 7th Army NCO Academy in Munich. He was among the few selected to serve in the honor guard in Afghanistan and was awarded a certificate of achievement for his “outstanding performance of duty…”

After his military service, Bob had a long and successful career as a Systems and Product Engineer with IBM, which took him from New York to Richmond, Virginia, and then to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he and his wife Marilyn raised their family. He and Marilyn then went on to spend 25 delightful years at their waterfront paradise in Emerald Isle, surrounded by a strong and supportive community of friends and neighbors.

Bob was a devoted husband and exceptional father. His contentment was highest when his wife was at his side. His goals were always selfless, preferring to be surrounded by family and a knowledge that they were enjoying themselves and one another. His reservoir of laughter was boundless and his sense of humor remained his superpower until his final days. Countless were the memories of unbridled laughter around the dinner table in their Emerald Isle home with his extended family. He loved woodworking, racquetball, golf, beach combing, decoy carving, and a good glass of wine.

Bob was one of the most honest men you could know, and in his own humble manner he stood tall with the highest standard of decency and clarity of right and wrong. He was also a patriot and had no tolerance for the moral decline our culture has become so enamored with in recent years. Above all, he never thought more highly of himself than others, and he would not hesitate to give someone who needed it the shirt off of his back.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 11, 2018 from 12-1 pm at Mitchell Funeral Home (7209 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC), with funeral services to begin at 1 pm. Graveside services will follow at Raleigh Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family would ask you to consider a donation to the Salvation Army or the Word of Life Fellowship (www.wol.org), P.O. Box 600, Schroon Lake, NY, 12870, Memo: Rick Parker, Jr., Manaus River Project.

The family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff of Cambridge Hills assisted living community in Pittsboro, NC. Their tender and attentive care through the very end was a blessing to us all.