Robert “Bob” E.
Rumsey, 90, of Coldwater went home to his Lord and Savior on January 4, 2019 at
the Maple Lawn Medical Care Facility in Coldwater.
A funeral service
will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, preceded by a
visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of
Coldwater with Pastor David Pierce officiating.
An initial visitation will take
place on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Dutcher
Funeral Home in Coldwater.
Bob was born on
October 29, 1928 in South Bend, Indiana to Otto and Velma (Holmes) Rumsey. In
1931, the family relocated to Coldwater and purchased a restaurant, which they renamed
Otto’s Inn.
Bob was a hard worker from a young age, working at both the
restaurant and the family farm in Batavia. Later, Bob owned and managed Ottos
& Sons Sporting Goods located on East Chicago Street.
Bob was a 1946
graduate of Coldwater High School. He married Phyllis Munger of Coldwater on
September 25, 1949. Throughout their 69 years of marriage, the couple was very
active in the First Baptist Church of Coldwater, where Bob served as a trustee,
church moderator and head usher.
From 1951-1955, Bob
stepped away from his business and proudly served his country in the U.S. Air
Force. He served as a non-commissioned officer in Texas, the Philippines and
Okinawa. His service was celebrated with multiple honors.
Outside of work,
Bob enjoyed fishing, hunting and boating in his younger years. For 52 years, he
was a member of a bowling team sponsored by Ottos & Sons at the Coldwater
Recreation. The team won the citywide bowling tournament in 1947 along with
multiple league championships.
Bob served the City of Coldwater in many
capacities throughout the years. Before sitting as the mayor from 1993-2003, he
was a member of the city council as both a councilperson and mayor pro-tem for
16 years. Bob also served on many City of Coldwater committees, including the
Planning Commission, Downtown Development Authority, Board of Taxation Review,
Community Development Advisory, Local Development Finance Authority Board and
Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. His involvement also extended to sitting as
the secretary on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Agency in
Battle Creek and on the Park West Condominium Association, where he lived for
18 years.
Coldwater Noon
Rotary was another of Bob’s major passions. Joining in June of 1960, he maintained
perfect attendance for 55 years and received the Paul Harris award in 1981. He
served on many Rotary committees and as the club’s secretary for 23 years.
Following his
tenure as mayor, Bob volunteered his time and raised money for the American
Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Branch Area
Food Pantry.
Bob’s contributions
did not go unnoticed. In 2004, the Chamber of Commerce named him “Most
Outstanding Citizen” in Branch County. In 2005, he was named an “Outstanding
Volunteer” by former Governor Jennifer Granholm. Former Senator Cameron Brown
and former Representative Bruce Caswell awarded Bob with a special tribute for
his service as Coldwater’s mayor and many contributions to the community.
Bob is survived by
his wife Phyllis; daughter Janice (Gary) Poush of Dearborn Heights, Michigan;
son R. David (Shary) Rumsey of Coldwater; daughter Linda (Dennis) Thomas of
Quincy; brother Otto Dion Rumsey of Coldwater; grandchildren Adam Rumsey,
Adrienne (Gregory) Wamhoff, Cara Rumsey, Blane Adams, Melissa Adams, Dereck
Mobley, Bradley Mobley and Carrianne Thomas; and great grandchildren Brenner
Wamhoff, Audrey Wamhoff, Tyler Wamhoff, Henrik Wamhoff, Elouise Adams, Samantha
Scannell, Sarah Perry and Sabrina Perry.
He was preceded in death by his father
Otto G. Rumsey, mother Velma Fillmore and stepmother Louise Rumsey.
Memorial
contributions can be made to the First Baptist Church of Coldwater, Coldwater
Noon Rotary Club or the Branch Area Food Pantry.
Bob loved the
Coldwater community and spent his lifetime promoting Coldwater to make it a
better place to live.
