Robert "Bob" Lewis Jansen

Robert Lewis (Bob) Jansen, 77, of Tallmadge and Cuyahoga Falls, died October 10 after a lengthy illness.

Bob was born to J. Robert and Alice (Harsha) Jansen on September 1, 1945. The oldest child, Bobby (as he was then known) soon took on the responsibilities of being the best big brother ever to William J (Bill) and Lawrence A (Larry). But that wasn't quite enough for Bob. With a flock of young cousins living nearby, Bobby often found himself looking after and babysitting his siblings and his cousins. Nothing made him happier than being of service and showing how responsible he could be. His brothers and his cousins all knew that he was someone they could count on if anything went wrong.

Bob grew up in Goodyear Heights, in the home his grandparents bequeathed to his father. He attended local public schools, graduating from East High School in 1963, where he played football and tennis. He then went on to graduate from the University of Akron with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Like his father and grandfathers before him, Bob found his career at Goodyear Tire and Rubber, beginning while in college and was a loyal employee for over 40 years, mostly in human resources. He also served on Goodyear's annual United Way campaign committee. Bob was a certified Red Cross Life Saving and CPR instructor and taught for many years. A colleague with the Red Cross swim program described Bob as "absolutely the best with young kids."

While growing up, Bob was active in Boy Scouts. He loved Camp Manatoc scout camp, especially that special time at the end of the summer when the whole family went out to close up camp for the season. He was also a faithful member at Goodyear Heights Baptist Church while growing up and, with his family, frequently attended the Green Lake Conference Center in Wisconsin.

Bob loved car shows and was always excited to take a spin in Bertha, the 1955 Buick he inherited from his father. Any visit from family was reason enough for "Uncle Big Bob" to take Bertha for a cruise around town, often ending with some Strickland's frozen custard. Living his entire life in and around Akron, he was proud of his hometown and eager to show off the blimp hangars and talk about the days of the Soapbox Derby.

Bob was also known as a very finicky eater. Vegetables were the bane of his existence, with the curious exception of beets. Although he ate out regularly, he stuck to a few favored restaurants, where he knew the staff would happily massage their menu items to suit his persnickety tastes. At more than one restaurant, this was simply known as "Bob's dinner."

After more than 40 years with Goodyear, Bob retired, but found it hard to quit working. For a time, he delivered auto parts to local garages, not for the money, but for the conversations about cars and tools. He continued to volunteer as a driver for the Red Cross, and assisted the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Shuttling celebrities around for the Firestone PGA tournament was fun, but he was never interested in spending his days whacking a small ball around the golf course. He was happiest whenever he could be helpful.

Bob married Margaret "Peg" Beverley, but later divorced in 1977. Later, he met Cathy Chapman, a close friend of Barb Jansen, his brother Bill's wife. Bob and Cathy married in 1984, and although they ended their marriage many years later, Bob and Cathy remained committed and devoted to one another.

In the final years of his life, Bob required increasing assistance but was lucky enough to find a compassionate and generous friend and caregiver, Mark Whitesel. Towards the end, Bob and Mark spent almost every day together, to the great relief of Bob's family and friends.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Alice (Harsha) and J. Robert; his brother, Bill; his stepmother Mary (Meadows); his sister-in-law, Barbara Jansen Oakes; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He is survived by his brother, Larry, and sister-in-law, Lesley (Wischmann) of Holly Ridge, NC; niece Alicia (Adam) Marrara, and their two sweet girls, Cali and Lucy; ex-wife, Cathy Jansen, and his devoted friend, Mark Whitesel.

A celebration of Bob's life will be held at a later date. If you wish to be notified of details about this memorial, please drop us a note at rememberingbobjansen@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Forever Friends Foundation (cat adoption), or the American Red Cross, or to your favorite charity in Bob's memory.

Forever Friends Foundation
500 E Aurora Rd #20, Macedonia, OH 44056, Macedonia OH 44056
Tel: 1-216-453-2670
Web: https://www.foreverfriendsfoundation.org/

American Red Cross, Summit County Chapter
501 West Market Street, Akron OH 44304

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