Robert F. Gaiser

Robert F. Gaiser, Sr., 77, of Stevensville, passed away Monday, April 14, 2008 at The Willows in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Wednesday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Burial will follow at Hickory Bluff Cemetery in Stevensville with Military Rites conducted by Stevensville American Legion Post #568. Friends may call beginning at Noon on Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Stevensville United Methodist Church. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mr. Gaiser was born April 19, 1930 in Lake Odessa, Michigan to Frank A. & Louise (Keson) Gaiser. He attended Michigan State University, and graduated from Arizona State University in Tuscon with a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. On November 17, 1958, Robert married the former Lavada Mae Peterson in Albuquerque, NM. He served his country in the United States Air Force. Robert was employed as an executive design engineer at Bosch in St. Joseph, retiring in 1991 after 28 years of employment. He held 54 United States design patents during his employment at Bendix, Allied Signal & Bosch. Robert was a member of the American Society of Automotive Engineers, the Stevensville American Legion Post #568, and the Niles Avenue Baptist Church. In his spare time, he enjoyed using his private pilot’s license touring the sky over Southwest Michigan. Mr. Gaiser is survived by his wife Lavada; his son Richard (Lori) Gaiser of Stevensville; his daughter Lynn (Bill) Kelm of Baroda; two grandchildren-Misty Lynn Devlin & Bobby Gaiser; and his great-grandson Noah Devlin. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son Robert F. Gaiser, Jr. in 2005, and his sister Kathryn Thompson.