Obituaries

In the morning sunshine of Friday, April 21, 2023, Robert “Bob” L. Roach passed through the Gates of
Heaven riding his favorite bicycle. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him in this world, but we
rejoice in his life and the end of his earthly pain.
Bob was born March 30, 1943, in Lepanto, Arkansas, the first child and only son of Robert and Marie
(Wilson) Roach. Bob’s family moved frequently in his youth before settling in St. Charles, Illinois, in
1952. He met Norma Jones, the one he would marry, when she was visiting her sister, Theda Busby, and
her family in the summer of 1956.
On June 29, 1963, Bob and Norma were married at the Church of God of Prophecy in St. Charles. They
settled in Elgin, Illinois, before buying their first home in St. Charles in 1965, when they learned they
were going to be parents. Bob would call St. Charles home for the rest of his life.
Bob was a hard-working man, holding down as many as three jobs at the same time to take care of his
family. He enjoyed telling stories of his early jobs as a pinsetter at the bowling alley, a caddy at the
country club, and the manager of a go-cart track. However, Bob found his place in the working world
when Hawley Michael hired him at Eby Brown in Elgin. Bob worked at Eby Brown for more than 40
years, retiring in 2008.
Bob found his peace by being out in nature. He was an avid bicyclist, frequently taking off in all kinds of
weather to explore the bike paths and the country roads of Kane and the surrounding counties. He
enjoyed hiking and planned weekend trips to Starved Rock State Park with family and friends for many
years. Bob also enjoyed canoeing, archery, and working in his yard. He and his trusty chainsaw felled
many a tree!
Bob is survived by his wife of 59 years, Norma, and his daughter, Shelley, both of St. Charles. He is also
survived by his sisters; Peggy Kirby, of Park Ridge, Illinois, and Anne (Ben) Culos, of Cape Coral, Florida;
and the brother of his heart, Don (Lois) Wallace, of Salem, Illinois. Bob also had a large extended family,
including his sisters-in-law, Linda (Charles) Hardin, of Nacogdoches, Texas, and Wanda Starr, of St.
Charles; his brothers-in-law, James (Joyce) Jones, of Elgin, Paul Jones, of Bolivar, Missouri, and John
Jones, of Pittsburg, Missouri; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Waiting to welcome Bob to Heaven were the child he never held on Earth, his parents, Robert and Marie
Roach, his brothers-in-law Jim Lewis, Harold (Linda) Jones, and David Starr; his sisters-in-law Theda
(Melvin) Busby, Estelle (Ed) Huckabee, and Nadean Canestrini, along with beloved aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews, and cousins.
Norma and Shelley would like to extend a personal thank you to Bob’s nieces, Patricia Medlin and Judy
Mannella, for the assistance they provided in caring for Bob and to the staff at Autumn Leaves in St.
Charles, and Apex Hospice and Palliative Care in Westmont, Illinois, for their care and compassion at the
end of Bob’s life. There are angels among us!
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s name can be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
www.lbda.org

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