Robert James Caulfield went home to the Lord on July 22, 2014 at the age of 84.
He loved and is survived by his daughters, Sharon and Nancy, son-in-law, Ray, and grandchildren, Noah and Grace.
Bob was born in Chicago in 1930 to James Patrick Caulfield and Deborah Mary Mitchell. After moving to Kenmore, New York, as a child, he graduated from Kenmore Senior High School in 1947. He attended Purdue University and the University of Buffalo, and received a degree in mechanical engineering. He served in the Army and, in 1958, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Prough. Together they raised Nancy and Sharon and enjoyed boating, bowling, and traveling. Bob spent his entire career with General Motors, starting at the Chevrolet plant in Tonawanda and then moving to the GM Tech Center as an executive in charge of various departments including Balance Engineering and GM Fanuc. Bob was intelligent, handy, hardworking, and a smart investor, and he taught his daughters to be self-sufficient and handy. In 1981, Bob lost his beloved Mary to pancreatic cancer. He married Mary Kneip in 1984, retired in 1986, and spent winters in Florida and summers on Drummond Island, continuing his love of boating, cards, tinkering, and crossword puzzles. He suffered a stroke in the late 1990s that left him with some cognitive impairment. Eventually he moved into nursing care in Traverse City, Sault Sainte Marie, and Marquette. In 2010, he moved to Southfield and spent his remaining years enjoying his grandchildren and Sharon and Ray. Bob is also survived by dear friends Burt and Mary Turner, Dave Bouman, and Bill Whallon.
A private memorial service has been held.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Anne's Mead in Southfield or to Jacobetti Veteran's Home in Marquette, Michigan.