Robert "Bob" George Esdale

Bob was born in Grosse Pointe Farms on November 24, 1948, the second child out of four, and the only son of Eunice (nee Stroup) and William Esdale. He grew up in Hillsdale in a Norman Rockwell childhood with boy scouts, swimming, music, school and church activities. Every summer, his mother took the children camping all over the state of Michigan, going to almost every single park in the state. In his senior year of high school, the family moved to Birmingham, where Bob graduated from Bloomfield Hills Andover High School.

College years were spent at Ferris State University, Lansing Community College, the Navy and Michigan State University where Bob received his BA in Social Science in 1977. This was followed by his Master’s Degree in Urban Planning at MSU in 1985 where his emphasis was Health Planning. Bob always took great delight in telling people he had his two degrees from MSU while his wife Anne’s two degrees were from the University of Michigan.

Bob used his health planning skills in jobs at the Medicaid Audit Program, a former Health Systems Agency, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

On Christmas Day 1980 he met Anne (nee Quigley), the love of his life, when they both stopped “serendipitously and yet planned by God” at his sister Jane’s house for brunch. They were married in 1982 and had almost 42 years of marriage. After 10 years of marriage, they adopted their wonderful, loving daughter, Liz, the light of their lives.

Family and friends were always the greatest blessings of Bob’s life. In addition to his loving wife and daughter, Anne and Liz, he is survived by his sister, Susan, of Williamston; brother-in-law, James Quigley and Karen Gowan of Indianapolis, Indiana; brother-in-law, Patrick and Sue Quigley of Clovis, California; many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Close cousins on both sides of the family include Tieche cousins, Hines cousins, Smith cousins and Geden cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Jane Esdale and Margaret Esdale.

Bob and Anne had many shared interests, among them travel, cooking and gardening. Cruises in Europe were among Bob’s favorites and he also visited China, Japan, South America, Canada and over 40 of the states. In 2016, Bob, Anne and Liz visited Ireland with eight other family members where Bob sang and played the harmonica in an Irish pub, to wild cheers from the patrons. In their cooking, Bob was Anne’s sous chef and the master of the Instant Pot, Air Fryer and grill. Bob also did woodworking and enjoyed playing the harmonica with his sister, Susan, playing the guitar.

The family would like to thank the entire Intensive Care Unit team at McLaren Hospital that provided extraordinary and compassionate critical care during Bob’s one month hospitalization.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 E Grand River Ave., E Lansing, MI 48823. A memorial service will be held at Okemos Community Church on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 11:00 AM, followed by lunch, with family visitation at 10:00 AM.

Donations may be made to Okemos Community Church Missions, c/o Okemos Community Church, 4734 Okemos Road, Okemos, MI. 48864.