Bob Shane

There was so much to love about Robert “Bob” Shane as he was sweet, kind, and non-judgmental - someone who accepted others just the way they were. He was genuine in everything he did and whether it was his family, his students, or those in the community around him, Bob touched the hearts of many throughout his life’s journey. A man of great wisdom and knowledge, Bob worked hard to reach the students who came through his door as he did so much more than just teach what was on the day’s lesson plan. Bob loved music and was a gifted artist whose work remains part of the community he called home throughout the majority of his life. His absence will be keenly felt by many.

The year 1934 was one of the most difficult years of the Great Depression as the unemployment rate was over 22 percent leaving countless Americans without jobs. Mother Nature didn’t help either as a severe drought in the Midwest created dust bowls throughout much of the region. There was great reason to celebrate, however, in the family of John and Mildred (Grabber) Shane as they welcomed their son, Robert, on February 9th of that same year. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Robert was the youngest of three children in his family with siblings who were 13 and 15 years his senior. His father worked for the railroad while his mother was a school teacher. Bob enjoyed tennis as a young boy and even worked some at the local tennis courts. He attended Kalamazoo Schools including Kalamazoo Central High School where he was active in tennis and was known for his art.

After graduating from high school in 1951, Bob was ready to embark on the next phase of his life. During the summer of 1952, Bob worked as a butcher at A&P, and it was during his breaks from work that he became acquainted with the woman who would forever hold the key to his heart. Her name was Sid and she worked at the drug store where Bob frequently went for a soda from the fountain during his breaks. He took a liking to her and not long after, the couple began dating.

With dreams of becoming an art teacher, Bob attended Western Michigan University. His education was set aside for a time when he was drafted into the Army on June 6, 1956. Not long after, Bob married his sweetheart on August 25th that same year at St. Joseph Church. There was little time to spend with his bride as he had to resume his duties as a supply clerk in the military. Bob was stationed in Pittsburgh for one year and later went to France for ten months. Finally on May 14, 1958, Bob was discharged, and he returned to Kalamazoo in pursuit of his education.

The young couple settled in Kalamazoo and started their family right away in 1957. The couple was blessed with three children: Kenyon, Kammy, and Kathleen. Bob graduated from Western in 1961 and began teaching that same fall at schools in Comstock, mainly in the high school. It wasn’t surprising to anyone who knew Bob that he was the favorite teacher of many of his students. When he retired from teaching in 1989, he worked part-time in layout and design at The Sign Shop for five years.

There was much to keep Bob busy in addition to his work and spending time with his family. He was an avid collector of model trains, predominantly HO scale trains, and he also collected all types of model airplanes. Bob was proud of his extensive beer can collection including many international cans that altogether number in the thousands. He loved fishing and frequently went to Augusta Creek for lake trout. Bob bowled on two leagues including the Ball Bouncers, and Wednesday afternoons always marked the gathering of his poker group in their basement. He was a music lover with over 1,000 CDs and videos, partially because he videotaped and took pictures for the high school. Bob especially loved classical music and musicals, too. He was a huge fan of Pittsburgh sports including the Pirates, the Penguins, and the Steelers, and he also liked Iron City Beer from Pittsburgh, even though his buddies gave him a hard time about it. Bob was a member of MEA, CEA, and KARSP as well. He loved being a grandpa and attended his grandchildren’s many functions and of course, video taped them all, too. Bob loved having the family around whether it was for holidays, BBQs, or Sunday dinners.

One thing Bob was known for was his VW busses – he loved them and had several of them throughout the seventies and eighties. His many busses hold such special memories for his family since it was what the family took camping or on trips through the years. They also regularly went for leisurely drives on Sundays after church or to eat frog legs at the Magic Carpet.

Bob was a gifted artist, and he loved brightening the world around him with his gift. He custom made all of the cards he gave others and made each according to the individual. Everyone always looked forward to their card from Bob since not only were it beautiful, but it was from the heart. He also painted the walls and did a lot of art work for Star World and Cekola Pizza. Bob also did other pieces of work for Joe Cekola.

Robert “Bob” Shane was a vibrant, fun-loving man who enjoyed life and never complained when trials came his way, even when afflicted with an unrelenting enemy. He was a die-hard democrat who believed in fair play and had a huge heart to boot. Nothing was of greater value than the family Bob shared with the love of his life for over 54 years. Whether his stir fry's, his many collections, or his aversion to doing yard work, his little quirks made Bob such a unique man who will be forever remembered by the countless people who were blessed to know and love him.

Robert “Bob” Shane died October 20, 2010 in Kalamazoo. Bob’s family includes his wife, Sid Shane; 3 children: Kenyon (Marie) Shane, Kammy (Bob) Vorva and Kathleen Easter; 7 grandchildren: Amber, Kenyon, Jessica, Kaylee, Candace, Hunter and Shane; 3 step-grandchildren: Dean, Rachael and Andrea; 2 great-grandchildren: Madison and Brock; brother-in-law and sister-in-law: Mary Anne and Jay Smith and Fritz and Helen VandeMaele; brother-in-law: Gordon Graham, former son-in-law and daughter-in-law: Brian Easter and Michele Shane; and many nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by 2 siblings: “Buck” Shane and Josephine Graham. Learn more about Bob, view his Life Story film, and share in some refreshments with his family and friends on Sunday from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes - Kalamazoo, MI; 6080 Stadium Drive, 375-2900. Services will be held Monday 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church. A luncheon will follow at Ft. Bart Hall. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a memory or photo, sign his memory book before coming to the funeral home, or make a memorial donation to the Heartland Hospice or St. Mary Catholic Church.