Robert Charles Staats

Bob was a Navy Veteran from WWII and a 3rd class Petty Officer. He served in the South Pacific on the USS Fulton, and the USS Macon as a fire controlman and a mail carrier on a South Pacific Submarine base.

After the war he used his GI bill to attend Michigan State University.

Bob was an avid Michigan State Spartan football fan and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

He worked for Honeywell Avionics for 38 years in Minneapolis and Clearwater, and was an Expert in Inertial Guidance Systems and Electrostatic Gyroscopes. Bob was an inventor and he kept the US patent office busy. He holds 6 patents for his Gyroscopes and Guidance systems. He worked with the Apollo Moon Rocket program and the Space Shuttle program.

Science and exploring the moon and the planets were his passion. He loved to learn about new ways that science could find ways to explore outer space.

Bob was an excellent ballroom dancer and met his wife Joanne at a dance in downtown Minneapolis. It was a ladies choice dance and she picked him, they danced and have been together for 61 years. They were married in her home town of Cyrus, MN.

Another passion of his was the Seminole Warhawk Band-Aides. He loved to chaperone and assist the Seminole High School Marching Band. He enjoyed getting to know the kids and went on several band trips including Virginia Beach and Washington DC. Bob enjoyed the high school band trips so much that even after his own daughters had graduated Bob was called by the band director, Mr. Hayward, and invited to go with the 1979 Seminole Honor Band to Virginia Beach. And so he went and had a lot of fun!

He and Joanne met many of their lifelong friends from the band parents and students.

Bob was also a lifetime member of the VFW #10094 and served as their Treasurer. He was also a member of the American Legion. Bob and Joanne loved to dance and they often went to the VFW or Legion with their numerous friends and enjoyed the evening dancing to the oldies. Big band tunes were their favorite!

Volunteering was a passion for Bob and he always made time for his friends and to help others.

Family has always been very important to Bob. He leaves behind his loving wife Joanne, his 2 daughters Rachel Staats Agliano (John) and Jacqueline Staats Bailey (Bruce), his grandchildren Jack and Robyn Bailey, his niece Sue Courtright (Frank)and nephew Steve Strand as well as many Engelhardt cousins in Michigan.

Bob also known as Poppa, always enjoyed playing board games such as Monopoly with his children and his grandchildren. It was always a treat for Poppa to take his young grandchildren over to the beach to play mini golf every summer where Jack usually shot par, and the younger Robyn always shouted, “I got a hole in one” and somehow poor Poppa ended up with the highest score.

There are a couple of things that everyone will agree on with Bob. He was an awesome husband, father, grandfather and uncle and he loved playing with our dogs Winston and Lucky, riding the Space Mountain Roller Coaster at the Magic Kingdom even in his 70’s, and going out to dinner with Joanne on Saturday nights and ordering Jim Beam and Ginger Ale!

In Lieu of flowers donations may be made to Suncoast Hospice.

A Celebration of his life will be held at Serenity Gardens on Sunday November 27, 2016. Visitation at 11:00am and Celebration of Life at 12 noon. Lunch served after the Interment.