Robert Edward Thoresen

Robert Edward Thoresen, of Middleville, Michigan, died at home on Thursday, July 28, 2016, surrounded by his family as he passed peacefully from this life into the next. He was 82 years old.
Bob was born April 12, 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Einar Thoresen, an engineer and an immigrant from Norway; and Bertha Lawson, a piano teacher, originally from Wheeling, West Virginia. In 1952, he graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

A 1956 graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, Bob spent most of his career as an insurance underwriter. He also earned a master's degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh and taught elementary school in Pittsburgh.

In 1957, he was inducted into the U.S. Army. He attended Quartermaster School and served at Fort Lee, Virginia. He was honorably discharged within a year due to his father's illness.
He married Judith (Schulert) Shimmel on July 8, 1978, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids.

An avid golfer and world traveler who enjoyed spending time up north at his campsite near East Jordan, Bob was a keen bridge player, an occasional piano player, and he delighted in telling jokes.
Bob was a member of Kiwanis and of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Even after moving to Grand Rapids in the early 1970s, he remained a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. Bob was immensely proud of his Norwegian heritage.

In retirement, Bob was a frequent substitute teacher in the Cedar Springs Public Schools and delivered Meals on Wheels for the Barry County Commission on Aging.

A 13-year resident of Carveth Village in Middleville, Bob was a favorite among the staff for his sense of humor.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Judy, in 2002; and by his parents and his older brother, Thomas.

Bob is survived by his stepdaughters Cindy (Jeffrey) Kaczmarczyk of Hastings; and Deb Shimmel (Carol Farquhar) of Ada; and by his three grandchildren, Jessica, Michael and David Kaczmarczyk, all of Hastings.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, August 6, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 134 N. Division Ave., in Grand Rapids, with the Rev. Joel Turmo and the Rev. Susan York officiating. The family will greet visitors one hour before the service. Interment will follow in St. Mark's columbarium beside his wife.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Food Bank of South Central Michigan or to St. Mark's Episcopal Church.