Obituary of Robert Ralza Mead

Robert Ralza Mead, Sr. (Bob) of Canadian Lakes, Michigan

Born March 28, 1924, in Flint Michigan, Bob passed away on October 30, 2018. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 17th, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, at the Alpine Haus (11610 Belle Isle Dr., Canadian Lakes, MI 49346). Bob was deeply loved and admired by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his first wife Marian (nee Eister), and his second wife Bette Lou (nee Hoyle), as well as his brother and sister-in-law Larry and Jean Mead, his son Robert R. (Carol) Mead, Jr., his daughter Beth Anne (Mark) Seacord, his step-son John Thompson, and his son-in- law Thomas (Irene) Broadbent.

He is survived by his children Marti A. Macko, Christine (Richard) Powers, Irene M. Mead, Wilfred A. (Linda) Mead, Anne M. Mead, by daughter-in-law Carol Mead and son-in-law Martin Seacord, and by stepchildren Sandy (Brett) Thompson-Koeber, Patty Thompson (Ray Ludwiszewski), and Robert Thompson. 

He is also survived by 21 grand-children and 20 great- grandchildren.

Bob grew up in Flint, Michigan, where he excelled in mathematics and played basketball and baseball. His potential professional career in baseball was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in England and France. Upon his return, he married Marian and enrolled in Michigan Technological University, from which he graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

He and Marian raised their family in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. He was always supportive and involved in his children’s activities, and was a loving and devoted husband and dad. He bowled, played baseball, and played duplicate bridge. He retired from Ford Motor Company after a long and productive engineering career. Marian passed away of cancer in 1984.

A few years later, he had the fortune to marry Bette, who he had met playing bridge. They moved to Canadian Lakes in 1994, and have greatly enjoyed the community and the people. They continued to play bridge at clubs and tournaments across the country. They also traveled extensively, and by the time he died, he had traveled to every continent except Antarctica. He played tennis competitively until he was 91 years old, and enjoyed helping young people learn the game.

Throughout his life, he remained positive, had a wonderful sense of humor and lived his life to the fullest. There will be a celebration of life at a time to yet be determined.