Robert Alan Putnam

Robert Alan “Bob/BJ” Putnam, 60, of Portage, MI, joined the Lord peacefully on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, May 15, at 10:30 AM at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Father Arul Lazar officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Friday, May 14, from 5-7 PM at the funeral home. Out of respect for the family and guests in attendance, masks and social distancing will be required. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, https://www.alz.org/, in honor of his father. Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Bob was born on August 1, 1960, in Euclid, OH, to Charles “Charlie” & Gladys “Louise” (Niederhiser) Putnam. He attended St. Joseph High School where he played on the baseball team and graduated in 1978. Following high school, Bob continued not only his education but also with his passion for baseball by attending Tennessee Tech and then Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Bob would finish his college career at Western Michigan University in 1984 where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business. While at WMU, Bob met the love of his life, Lori Mayle. The two spent nearly a decade learning and growing, both together and individually, before getting married on July 7, 1990 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. They welcomed their first daughter, Megan, in 1991 soon followed by Emily in 1993. Bob was incredibly passionate about sports. This led him to open Pro Image, a sports memorabilia store, in Portage from 1992-2006. Even after he closed his store, he continued to hold on to and collect hundreds, if not thousands, of baseball cards. Around 2010 he began working as a driver for Fed-Ex. Bob’s first true love was sports. He was by nature a quiet soul, but he could spend hours chatting with a stranger spewing SportsCenter’s newest updates or random statistics from decades prior. Although he was a sports fanatic, he never wavered in his support for all the Detroit teams or The Ohio State Buckeyes. Bob also enjoyed watching and playing golf. A favorite time in his life was when he and his dad were able to walk the course at Augusta National Golf Club during the Master’s practice rounds. One of his most distinguishing characteristics was his hard work ethic. A common saying of his being ‘If your 10 minutes early, you’re late’, which he instilled in his daughters making certain they grew up with the same hard work ethic. Bob was also incredibly helpful, whenever anyone needed something, Bob was always there. His work ethic, devotion to his family, and personal sacrifice were unmatched and admired by many. However, his biggest pleasure in life was sharing the athletic, academic, and personal successes of his two daughters and son-in-law. His newest pride and joy was being “Papa” to his nine-month-old granddaughter, Lucy. Bob’s unique and colorful sense of humor will truly be missed by all who knew him. Bob is survived by his loving wife of nearly 31 years, Lori; daughters, Megan (Kyle) Lark of Alma, MI and Emily Putnam of Portage; granddaughter, Lucy Lark; siblings, Andrea Struble, Cindy Putnam and Charlie, Jr. (Laurie) Putnam; mother-in- law, Rose Mayle; and many wonderful brothers & sisters in-law, cousins, nieces & nephews, family & friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law, Edward Mayle; and brother-in-law, Darrell Struble.