After an arduous battle of declining health, Bob found peace after he died tranquilly in his sleep early in the morning of Monday, July 22.

Those who knew Bob cherished his larger than life personality. He was boisterous, brutally direct, feisty, stubborn as can be and often quite contrary. He was never a subtle man. But he was also a teddy bear of affection with a massive heart of gold and a sense of humor that often left him and those around him bent over crying with laughter. If he was your friend, he was incredibly loyal and would give you the shirt off his back. Bob had such an outgoing and bold personality that he could easily start conversations with five new people just standing in line at the grocery store.

A proud Navy man, Bob went on to be a dedicated trucker, passionate hockey coach and in his retirement years he worked for the Grand Rapids Griffins doing statistics and line judging. As for hobbies, Bob definitely had an enthusiasm and curiosity for exploring them. From welding to car body repair, following University of Michigan sports, hunting, boating and camping at Brower park, photography and cooking (he always appreciated the art of the perfect barbecue), to rocking out to Dave Matthews music, he was constantly shifting and exploring. He loved to go all out on the holidays and for the grandkids' birthday parties, often dressing up in costume or creating elaborate poems for his annual epic Easter egg hunt.

An avid dreamer until the end, he died still making plans of opening Bob's Dawg House, a gourmet hot dog stand business that, let's face it, would probably never have made money because he would've generously gifted more hot dogs than he would ever sell.

Bob is survived by his three children Tony (Pam) Blaskis, Shelly (Mark) Herp and Cathy Brown, his ex-wife Sheri Blaskis, and their beloved grandchildren Justin and Sean (Corrie) Herp, Ava, Stella and Noah Brown, and Gavin Blaskis. He is preceded in death by his son Brian, who Bob was very excited to be reunited with in heaven.

Bob didn't want a traditional funeral. He was clear, in the firm way that Bob could communicate, that he wanted his ashes to have a Viking-inspired send off in the middle of Lake Michigan. His children and grandchildren will be honoring those wishes on August 23. If anyone would like to honor his life, in lieu of flowers a donation could be sent to West Michigan Survivors of Suicide Loss, an organization that he valued highly after the loss of his own son Brian.  https://wmsosl.com