Dr. Robert "Bob" F. Cramer, M.D.

Dr. Robert "Bob" F. Cramer M.D., 67, of Sherman, passed away November 7, 2019 at home, in the arms of his loving wife, Marilee and cat, Bea by his side. He was born on November 19, 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Frederick and Lois Landsberger Cramer. Bob married Marilee Harvey on October 8, 1988 at their home in Sherman, under the Burr Oak tree and she survives.

Dr. Cramer is also survived by one brother Steven (Jacque) Cramer of Edina, Minnesota and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles.

Bob graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN., and the University of Minnesota Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield and practiced medicine with compassion and skill in Springfield for thirty seven years. He cared deeply for his patients and they for him. He retired in March 2018 and was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October, 2018.

Bob was truly a gentle, humble man but not always the most patient one. He was a sensitive man full of compassion, conviction, integrity & strength. All qualities that served him well in his medical practice and saw him through the last year of his life. He had a brilliant mind prior to the glioblastoma & was an avid reader of multiple genres and loved good conversation & friendly debate. He believed in & honored Mother Nature and all her creatures big and small. He was passionate about environmental issues, seethed at injustices and rallied for the underdog. He loved many genres of music, from Jimi Hendrix to Mario Lanza and made his annual trips to Bonoroo music festival with his pal, Al. He always looked forward to his annual skiing & camping trips with his lifelong buddies from Minnesota. An outstanding memory for him was traveling with Marilee & the Harris’ to Washington, DC in 2009 for the Obama inauguration. He also cherished the memories of recent trips he made with his brother Steve and loving nephews, Matt and Peter. Bob had a competitive spirit and excelled in the activities he enjoyed; skiing (water & snow), road running and long distance bicycling. He made many friends through these activities and was fed with love by those friendships. He loved to party and dance and didn’t like being left out of anything. He found solace in long walks, hiking, camping, bird watching and snorkeling. He loved adventure and travel with his wife Marilee and “travel buds” The Wiley’s. He was also a man of romance and loved spending quiet times at The Cramerosa with Marilee, walking the trails, watching the sunset, sitting at his pond or by a fire. He loved life and everything it had to offer. His physical presence will be sorely missed.

Robert was a member of the Illinois Medical Association, Spasmodic Dystonia Association, Springfield Road Runners Club, Springfield Bicycle Club and Illinois Native Plant Society. In 2016 he was awarded the American Heart Association’s Heart Saver Hero award for helping save a fellow bicyclist’s life.

A memorial service will be held at 12:30pm on Saturday November 23, 2019 at Bisch and Son Funeral Home, 505 East Allen Street. The family will greet friends following the memorial service from 1:00pm until 3:00pm Saturday at Bisch and Son. Memorial contributions may be made to: American Brain Tumor Association, Doctors Without Borders, Illinois Native Plant Society, Nature Conservancy, Wild Birds Unlimited, The Sierra Club or any environmental or nature focused organization. In lieu of flowers, plant a tree or native plant in memory of Bob. Please visit the online “Life Remembered Story” at www.bischandsonfuneralhome.com.