Mr. Robert M. “Bob” Keiser, 86, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully at his home on Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 3:24 pm. He was born in South Whitley, IN on July 17, 1934 to the late Arthur and Wanda (Landes) Keiser.
Surviving are his daughters Kelley (Walter) Davenport of Portland, OR and Karla (Gary) Renne of Bothell, WA; sister Judy (Joe) Quarandillo of Cape Coral, FL; grandson Kristopher Davenport of Portland, niece Jody (Brian) Oswald of Elkhart; dear friend Jeanne Edmonds of Elkhart; his kitties Pumpkin and Precious and a loving host of extended family and friends. Preceding Bob in death are sisters Marilyn Lee and Beverly Keiser and his faithful yellow lab, Fish.
In accordance with Bob’s wishes, cremation has taken place with the assistance of Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Elkhart. Burial with military honors will take place at a later date in South Whitley, IN.
Bob’s altruistic personality always guided him throughout life to do things to help others. Following high school, Bob enlisted in the US Navy where he became a Navy Corpsman and served with a US Marine Corps combat unit. Lovingly known as “Doc”, Bob was proud of the fact that his Marines looked to him for aid and care. He also worked for a time as an ambulance attendant for the Coos Bay Ambulance Service in Oregon before moving to Michiana.
Over the years, Bob dabbled in several different enterprises; he worked for a while manufacturing dairy equipment and also spent some time raising chinchillas, but his love of working with his hands led him to carpentry and construction, and Bob wound up being a contractor for over 50 years, working on projects even in his 80’s! He also never outgrew that altruistic personality, and he would always be remembered as that guy who’d give the shirt off his back for someone. He absolutely loved and doted over his family, (especially his daughters) and enjoyed keeping everyone smiling and laughing with his well-developed sense of humor and joking around. He was also an avid snow skier, fisherman and gardener, growing a prolific crop of tomatoes each year that usually were given away to friends, family, neighbors and anyone who appeared to need tomatoes. He was also an in-depth researcher, often reading volumes of instruction books and manuals before starting a new project.
Memorial donations may be given to the charity of one’s choice in Bob’s honor. Thank you for your interest in Bob’s life story.
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