ROBERT LEE "BOB" BOONSTRA

BOONSTRA, Robert Lee “Bob”, age 88, went to his eternal home on Sunday, June 25, 2017. He was born September 8, 1928, in Lafayette, Indiana to Edward and Ruth Boonstra, the younger of two sons. He grew up on their farm in West Lafayette, and graduated from Purdue University in January 1951 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and was a member of the NROTC. He married Mary Carolyn Misner on January 28, 1951, and they spent the next 3 years moving several times around the country while he served in the U.S. Navy. After his service, they moved to Alliance, Ohio, where he worked for United Co-Operatives Inc., an agricultural equipment company. In 1957, he took a job with ARMCO Steel and they moved to Middletown, Ohio. As their family expanded, they relocated to Monroe in 1967. Bob and Carolyn became members of First Methodist Church and quickly joined the choir, and Bob remained a faithful member of that choir up until October 2015. He also served on several committees in the church, participated in and/or led several Bible Study groups and was a part of many Lay Witness missions sponsored by the church. He also enjoyed playing violin in services as well as performing in some of the Broad Street Musicals the church presented back in the late 60’s and early 70's (he played the part of Captain Von Trapp in their production of “The Sound of Music”, among others.) He was a member of the initial P.R.O.M.I.S.E.S. missions group, travelling on the inaugural trip to Japan in 1969 along with son, Tim. He was part of the 1976 trip as well, this time with Carolyn and daughters Debbi and Becky. Bob retired from ARMCO (now AK Steel) in 1994, and took a part-time job with Dason’s Hardware as a “transition” job before retiring completely in 1998. He and Carolyn moved to Mt. Pleasant Retirement village in November 2001, where Bob enjoyed playing shuffleboard and pool, and being a member of the gardening committee. In addition to singing and playing violin, Bob had many other hobbies - he was an avid golfer, and enjoyed reading and playing card games like Euchre and Cribbage. He was also a talented gardener and always had beautiful flower gardens at every home they lived in. He was a kind and compassionate man, always ready to help whenever needed, and had a great smile and keen sense of humor. He was loved and respected by family and friends, and will be greatly missed. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, wife Carolyn and daughter Becky. He is survived by his older brother Charles (Esther) Boonstra, of West Lafayette, IN; son Tim (Gale) Boonstra, of Erie, CO; daughter Debbi Boonstra, of Tulsa, OK; grandson Derek (Maria) Boonstra, of Los Angeles, CA, and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held Friday, August 25, 2017 from 4:00–7:00 pm at the Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, 210 S. Main St., Middletown. Services will be Saturday morning, August 26, 2017 at 10:00 am at the First United Methodist Church, 120 S. Broad St., Middletown. Bob will be entombed alongside his wife and daughter at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ohio Living Mt. Pleasant Foundation, Life Care Fund – www.ohioliving.org/foundation/donate, and or Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton – www.hospiceofdayton.org/donations/. Arrangements by Herr-Riggs Funeral Home, Middletown. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.herr-riggs.com

ROBERT LEE "BOB" BOONSTRA

September 8, 1928 - June 25, 2017