Bob Whisler

Robert (Bob) Whisler, of Gladwin Michigan passed away on Friday December 7, 2018 in San Diego California after a short illness. He and his wife Lucille moved to San Diego on October 21, 2018 to be closer to their family.

Bob was born in Hobbs, Indiana to Forest and Margaret Whisler on October 1, 1924. When Bob was a baby, the family moved to Midland Michigan where his father was employed by Dow Chemical Company. He graduated from Midland High and joined the US Navy in 1942 at the age of 17 serving on the Destroyer USS O’Bannon from 1942 – 1945 in the South Pacific. USS O’Bannon, the most decorated Destroyer in WWII, was named by Admiral Halsey to lead the Battleship USS Missouri into Tokyo Bay for the signing of the surrender of Japan. After the war he returned to Midland where he continued to serve in the active Army Reserve for another three years. He married Lucille Marie Koontz in Midland on Jan 28, 1950 and they moved to Gladwin in 1953. Bob worked for Dow Chemical for 37 years retiring in 1982. In 1969 Bob decided to devote some of his time to the community and served on the city council for 20 years, the County Planning Commission for 30 years and helped establish the Arts Commission on which he served for 14 years. He was a member of the Gladwin Eagles club, Gladwin Heights Golf league, and the Meadow Lanes Bowling league where in October 2005 he was named to the Gladwin/Beaverton bowling hall of fame where the story goes that the emcee of the event introduced Bob as having bowled at the same alley, in the same league and on the same team for 50 years. He was quite proud of those stats. He enjoyed oil painting, was an avid fisherman, always enjoying his secret stretches of streams throughout Gladwin County, bowling and dearly loved deer and bird hunting with friends and family up to his 90th year.

Bob was proceeded in death by his son Michael and his brother Earl. He is survived by his wife Lucille, son Robert and his wife Patti, their daughter Andrea and son Jacob, his Granddaughter Mica Neville and two Great Grandchildren Bridget Neville and Addison Neville , his brother Harry Whisler, a WWII US Army veteran of the Battle of the Bulge and formerly

of Midland , his brother Edward Whisler, a retired US Airforce veteran of Korea and Vietnam and his sister Mary Ungashick Smith

A memorial service will be held January 3, 2019 at the Miramar Marine Corp Air Station Chapel from 1PM – 2PM in San Diego. Burial of his ashes will take place at Ridge Cemetery in Gladwin at a date yet to be determined.

Bob lived a long, healthy and happy life in Gladwin where he had many friends. His only regret was that the quick nature of his illness and the urgent need to move to San Diego did not allow the opportunity for him to say so long to so many.