Robert "Bob" W. Aberle

He was born to Rudolph and Margaret Mary (Bussman) Aberle on October 13, 1947 in Peoria. He married Ramona “Mona” (Henderson) Statler on December 5, 1986 in Peoria.

Bob is survived by his wife Mona of Dunlap; children, Micah (Lacey) Statler of Germantown Hills, Dr. Corinne Aberle (Kyle Ford) of Miami, FL, and Nick (Mariah) Aberle of Spring Bay; six grandchildren, Caroline, Waylon, and Nash Statler, Emilie Ford, and Levon and Raleigh Aberle; one sister Frieda (Mark) Schellenberg of Peoria; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

After attending the University of Illinois Aviation Program, Bob served in the United States Army as a helicopter pilot. He flew with the MediVac program for Dustoff 82 in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1969 and was honorably discharged in May of 1971. He then worked as an Air Traffic Controller until “Reagan fired him.” Later, he was a helicopter pilot for LifeFlight with the State of Illinois and retired in 2000.

Bob enjoyed spending time outdoors, with fishing, camping, and hunting being his favorite activities. He loved his dogs, and wasn’t great at golfing but enjoyed it anyway. He was an avid Fighting Illini fan and loved cheering on the Chicago Cubs and Bears. He made lifelong friends at Pearce Community Center in Chillicothe and also stayed in touch with friends he met while in the military. Bob loved spending time with his family and his sense of humor and dad jokes will be missed by those that loved him.

It was Bob’s wish to be cremated, and a memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 30, 2021 at Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria. Pastor Steve Weber will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or American Cancer Society.

Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements and condolences may be left at www.Davison-Fulton.com.