Bob and Carol moved to Southwest Michigan in 1961. That summer, Bob formed a partnership with Louis Kerlikowske and they began Kerley & Starks Funeral Home on Main St. in St. Joseph. Bob and Carol purchased the business and over the years expanded the building and services. Today, the original funeral home is Star Condominiums. 

From the beginning, Bob and Carol believed strongly in providing a funeral home that serves the community with sensitivity and compassion. “I am deeply proud that my family’s second and third generations, under the guidance of my son Tom and granddaughters Laura and Olivia, are continuing Carol’s and my vision to provide a caring place for grieving families,” said Bob. 

Another legacy that Bob and Carol established early on at Starks Family Funeral Homes was their unwavering commitment to helping out the people and organizations of Southwest Michigan. Bob has been a past president of the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club, the United Fund, the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce and the International Conference of Funeral Service. 

Carol, who saw a void in the community for tending to the needs of the dying and their families, founded Hospice at Home in Southwest Michigan. She continues to serve on the Hospice at Home Foundation board of directors. Carol also has been very active in the Lakeland Medical Center, serving as a member of the board of directors and the Hospital Foundation board. She also volunteers for the Lakeland Auxiliary and Child and Family Services.

Bob and Carol reside in St. Joseph. They are parents to staff members, Tom and Jim Starks and grandparents to Laura and Olivia Starks.