Robert "Bob" Coffin

On Friday, May 11, 2018, the world lost a truly great man.  On this date, Robert “Bob” Coffin slipped quietly into an eternal sleep at his home in Ithaca, MI.

Funeral Services will be held at Smith Family Funeral Homes Ithaca, MI, on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 11:00 A.M., with Pastor Carl Cecil officiating.  Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 13, 2018 from 5-7 P.M. and on Monday, May 14, 2018 from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Bob was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and a friend.  Bob started and ended his life in Ithaca, where he touched many lives with his kindness.  Generally thought of as a quiet man, he was actually quite chatty if you found a subject he found interesting.  He also had the most amazing laugh; a laugh that made his blue eyes sparkle and made you want to hear it again and again.  He loved to read the newspaper and literally read every word from start to finish.  He also collected and read those free equipment magazines you get in the entrances to restaurants.  He never actually bought anything from them but he always knew what the going price for random pieces of farm equipment he had no use for.

Bob loved to spend time outdoors and he spent many happy hours tooling around the woods on his property on his mule, fishing with his brother-in-laws, or tinkering with his beloved Alice Chalmers tractors.  Bob was a man who could fix almost anything mechanical....well he could tear anything mechanical apart and always had great aspirations to eventually put them back together even better than he found it.  His garage drove his wife (of 64 years), Marlene, crazy with its cans of random nuts, bolts and screws, salvaged junkyard treasures and his many on-going projects which usually kept her from parking inside the garage.  His greatest joys were his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and he would glow with pride when he spoke of them.

Bob is survived by his wife Marlene (Bodell) Coffin, son Randy (DeAnna) Coffin, daughter Lori Coffin, and daughter Marni Coffin-Slagell.  He is also survived by 7 grandchildren: Crissy Sergeant, Jenny Sergeant, Garrett (Nicole) Coffin, Megan (Bryan) Cogswell, Brevon Slagell, Gracyn Slagell, Romyn Slagell and 2 great-grandchildren: Jack Raymond Cogswell and Devin Coffin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gratiot County Foster Closet P.O. Box 42, Ithaca, MI 48847. Online condolences can be sent to www.smithfamilyfuneralhomes.com. The family is being served by Smith Family Funeral Homes, Ithaca, MI.