Robert Ellis

Personable and engaging, Robert Ellis lived a life rich in family, friends, and service. With tremendous mechanical knowledge and a willing spirit, Bob was always quick to offer help. Though he had difficulties in his life that really shaped his outlook, he did the best with what he knew. While he had strong opinions and could be tough. His expressions of love were not always visible, but those who knew him well knew he could love deeply. A proud father and grandfather, Bob will long be remembered and so very missed.

1946 found people around the world expecting a better life than before the war years and the Great Depression. There was optimism as well in the home of Clarence and Marian (Baldus) Ellis as they welcomed their son Robert Clarence Ellis to their family on November 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Bob grew up on the northwest side of Grand Rapids. His father was a mechanic for the city buses and moonlighted by working on racecars at Berlin Raceway. Bob inherited his father's love of engines and mechanics and enjoyed it throughout his life. Sadly, Bob’s mother passed away before he was a teenager. When his father remarried, his stepmother became an important figure in his life. Bob helped rebuild his family’s home after a tornado destroyed it. He attended Kenowa Hills High School and worked on a nearby mink farm.

After being drafted into the Marines, Bob served a tour in Vietnam and then reenlisted for a second tour. Though he rarely talked much about his time in the Marines, he was patriotic and proud to have served his country. Following his honrable discharge, he returned home and eventually found work at General Motors, working at the Burlingame Plant for his entire career. During these years, Bob became involved with the UAW and served in the union.

One night, while out for a ride on his motorcycle, Bob arrived at a softball game, where a young lady with long red hair, sipping a beer while playing first base, caught his eye: her name was Jean Van Amerongen. The pair began dating and eventually married. Over the next 22 years, they raised their three boys together. Bob loved to stay busy and created opportunities for excitement for the boys. He enjoyed all sorts of hunting, particularly for goose and duck, and the family loved to boat—they spent all kinds of time on the water. Anyone who knew Bob knew that speed was more important than comfort or amenities. In the winter, he turned his mind to snowmobiles. They lived in Kentwood, so he found opportunities for the boys, like going on to Green Lake and using a home-crafted foam sailboat. The family loved spending a few weeks each summer on the Muskegon River at Brower Park or Oxbow. He earned the name Highway Bob because he would often drive daily back and forth to work from the campground.

With a severe accident suffered while snowmobiling in the Upper Peninsula when he was struck by a car, life began to change for Bob. Though he would recover, the accident had a lasting impact on his life. He always enjoyed tinkering or working on a project, and had a 1966 GTO he dreamed of rebuilding. Following his divorce, he eventually moved to a home near Cedar Springs, where his barns gave him room to store his “projects” and work. Both the garage and house were kept orderly at a quick look, and while working in the garage, the sounds of CCR, the Beach Boys, or Alabama were common.

In time, Bob met Donna Whitcomb. Over the next 14 years, the couple spent a lot of time together before her death in 2020. Donna had a gift for interacting with children, and through that, was able to create quality time with Bob and his granddaughters. Bob tried to arrange a trip with the grandkids every other year to Great Wolf Lodge, where they always made fond memories.

Bob and Donna also enjoyed quiet times together, including going to Grand Haven and watching boats go through the channel. No one who heard the tale will ever forget the time he took one of his boats with Donna and friends through the channel, and it caught on fire, requiring them all to abandon it. Bob had a few close friends and his family members throughout his life, and following Donna’s death in 2020, he spent a lot of time with his brother, Butch.

As we celebrate Bob’s life, may we find comfort in our many fond memories. May we also find comfort in carrying Bob’s legacy forward. In each moment we persevere in the face of life’s challenges, confidently tinker on a project, enjoy time on the water, satiate a need for speed, or gather with those we love, we keep Bob’s memory alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

Robert C. Ellis, age 78 of Cedar Springs, passed away in the late hours of May 19, 2025. He was preceded in death by his brother, William Frain; granddaughter, Arabella Ellis; his fiancée, Donna Whitcomb; and Donna's brothers, Gaylord and Wayne Schuur.

Bob is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Matt & Lynn Tepper, Will & Keri Ellis, Jim & Lisa Ellis; granddaughters, Mayla, Zella, Skylin, Paetyn and Willow; brother, Laurel "Butch" Ellis; sister Raenelle; Donna's sisters-in-law, Nancy & Corinne Schuur.

Friends are invited to visit Bob's family on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5-7 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Van Strien Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield Ave NE. A graveside service will be held on Friday at 10 AM at Fairplains Cemetery with military rites. Bob's family suggests memorial donations to Paralyzed Veterans of America. To read more about Bob, share a memory or photo, or sign his guestbook, visit www.heritagelifestory.com