Robert (Bob) Conley born November 26, 1942 (Thanksgiving) and passed away on May 26, 2025 at the age of 82.  He passed at home in the house he and his wife of 59 years, Martha (Marty) Conley shared for many years.  Marty preceded Bob in death, and he suffered from a broken heart, for the year and a half he was on this earth after she left it.  Bob and Marty had 3 daughters, Elizabeth (Beth) Conley, Teresa Joyner (husband Robert) and Rebecca (Becca) Stone (fiancé Brandon Davis).  He was also a grandfather to Andrea Papierski (husband Stephen) and Andrew Kuruda (wife Honey).  And in September of this year, his great-granddaughter, Michelle, will legally become a Papierski, although in Pa’s heart, she has been his family from the moment they met.

Bob was one of the eight children of Rita and Clyde Conley and was the fifth born and only son.  As you might imagine, having 7 sisters (JoAnne, Nancy, Marcia, Sharon, Maureen, Kathleen and Nora) and 3 daughters made Bob quite the expert at relating to and supporting women.   Family was a huge part of Bob’s life.  As a boy, he spent time on the family farms of Illinois with his numerous cousins and he held a special place in the hearts of his many nieces and nephews.

Bob would proudly tell you that the best thing he did in his life was to marry Marty on September 19, 1964.  The two of them were best friends, always finding ways to enjoy life, laughing their way through 59 years of marriage.  Although nobody who knew them would deny that Marty made them laugh out loud at almost every opportunity, Bob was also very funny, just a little more quiet about it.

Bob graduated from St. Joseph High School in South Bend, Indiana, in 1961.  He worked in the steel industry early on and eventually ended up being an electrician.  Bob and his friend, Jerry Nelson, eventually ventured out and opened Con-Nel Electric, later renamed C & I Electric, located in Elkhart, IN.  Bob would humbly share as you drove by a business that his company did the electrical work on the construction of the building.  He worked on the renovation of the Lerner Theatre toward the end of his career.  Bob's daughters, nephews, friends and even his wife were also his employees throughout the tenure of his business.  He mentored and coached so many as he ran his business and in life.

At Bob’s surprise 80th birthday, his childhood friends showed up, with one driving from Colorado for the celebration.  After the party, they moved to a favorite spot for fish and enjoyed catching up.

Because Bob’s father passed early on in his life, Bob became the patriarch of his family.  His shoulder supported the family through many crisis, including cancer and other health issues, relationship struggles, and unspeakable tragedies.  But way more often, he was there to celebrate, dancing at weddings, holding new members of his clan and rejoicing at the successes of his family and friends.

One of the traditions that Bob cherished was taking trips with different groups of nephews and friends to go fishing, camping, canoeing in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota.  Many of the stories from these trips were not disclosed to those not attending, but a sly smile would always be present when Bob fondly shared about these trips.

The memories Bob’s daughters will hold dear are too numerous to recount here because he was always there for them.  But know that they will miss such things as his Christmas ties, his Chex Mix, his creative solutions to problems and his sense of adventure.  They will also see him in others because he was a role model to so many.  His daughters can hang a ceiling fan, will support the people in their lives, and appreciate the beauty of the world around them because he taught them to do so.

The family will announce a Celebration of Bob’s Life later this summer.  If you would like to honor Bob with a donation, you can donate to Hospice in his name.

Walley-Mills-Zimmerman is entrusted with his care.