Robert Lee Felter

Robert Lee Felter, age 83, of Lansing, Michigan passed away on April 8, 2024. Bob was born May 26, 1940 in Lansing, Michigan, the son of Harry & Bertha Felter. He was raised in Lansing, MI and attended Lansing Public Schools, graduating from Sexton High School in 1958. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1962 and began his career with the Michigan Department of Transportation as a Civil Engineer. He met his wife, Janet, while working at MDOT; they married in 1984, with Bob taking on three teenage children. Bob retired from MDOT in 1997.

Bob enjoyed combining his orderly engineering mind with working with his hands. He delighted in building doll beds, bookcases, and simple wooden craft items for family; his craftsmanship showed in the elaborate deck he and son Bob constructed for the family to enjoy.

Bob was a quiet and kind man, whose smile showed his zest for life. He was a frequent and avid golfer, a competitive bowler, and a nature lover who enjoyed spending time with his camera in the woods. He enjoyed trips on his motorcycle with his friends, camping with Janet throughout Michigan and up and down the East Coast, and explorations of Florida and Mexico. He was a great fan of all things MSU.

Bob’s greatest joy in life was his family. He enjoyed attending family events, becoming an avid cheerleader at all kinds of grandchild activities. Bob made friends in surprising places; if you needed a mechanic, a roofer, or a plumber, Bob always knew a guy.

He is survived by his wife, Janet Hershey; his daughters, Mary (Mike) Rutledge and Liz (Chad) Canfield; his son, Bob (Cali) Sackrider, and his sisters Mary Lou (Chuck) Gebhardt and Gail McCray. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren: Ben and Abby Rutledge, Maggie Bellant, Grace and Erin Canfield and Sam and Lily Sackrider. Bob was preceded in death by grandson, Paul Bellant.

There will be an open house style Celebration of Life for Bob on Sunday April 21, 2024 at the Susan and Jack Davis Nature Pavilion at Fenner Nature Center (Arboretum), 2020 E. Mt. Hope, Lansing, MI 48910 from 11:00 – 1:30. Casual attire is suggested for the Celebration of Life. MSU apparel is always a good idea.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

The family has created a shared photo album here and invites contributions of photos of Bob:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPnG4C1LoQ9ZMEUp_viffykRGA0F_KDzUGHKBvGhxu9WwglhiVZKTviKoS9jnaHOw?key=allWZzZkdl9sQURVVE9ScVZLN3d6SFNuWE5tdDhB