Smuda, Robert J., \u00a0Born in Chicago, his early and formative years were in Hoffman Estates, IL and Arlington Heights, IL.\u00a0 His Lutheran education at St. Peter\u2019s Lutheran, Schaumburg, IL and spiritual instruction provided a firm foundation for life.\u00a0 At St. Peter\u2019s church he served as acolyte and was in choir; these were important.\u00a0 He graduated from Arlington Heights High School.\u00a0 Parents, Robert B. and Lillian A. Smuda, gave their best to underscore the basics, and along with God\u2019s grace, provided examples in their own lives of service to God, family, and community.\u00a0 Bob was raised in a giving home; wonderful that being so blessed there was an overflow to give to others.\u00a0\u00a0 He was raised to respect elders and to be of service.\u00a0 Shoveling a neighbor\u2019s drive, mowing a lawn, Scout newspaper drives, helping his grandparents or friend were natural and done cheerfully, no fuss.\u00a0 There were also many celebrations of just being together with family.\u00a0 It was a time when families ate dinner together and visited extended relatives on Sunday.\u00a0 Big and small triumphs, holidays and feasts had the feeling of thankfulness wrapped around many a celebration.\u00a0 Never to take people or blessings for granted.<\/p>\n
Bob had choices and Carthage College, Kenosha, WI was it. In \u201874 he earned a B.A. in Psychology.\u00a0 Along that path another family formed with his good and solid Carthage friends.\u00a0 Shirley Spangler, a life-long love, and Tau Delta Psi fraternity brothers (Buffalos), some of whom include Don Radlein, Carl Johanson, Fred Behnke, Dennis Ziegler, Richard Belzer, Art Wachholz, John Karnatz.\u00a0 There was plenty of the disciplined, hard work of study as well as the balance of celebrations.\u00a0 This was the late 60\u2019s and early 70\u2019s.\u00a0 That was a time.\u00a0 After graduation he backpacked Europe with Ron Hooker and upon return Bob regaled me with stories of boozy French girls.\u00a0 Another trip out West with Hooker and Don Radlein.\u00a0 California travels to visit Georgianne, with Don and Darrel Johnson and his little dog too.\u00a0 New Orleans with Shirley.<\/p>\n
He was close to his grandmother, Anna Zarko, a Czechoslovakian immigrant, who along with her Russian husband George Zarko, owned a Chicago butcher and grocery store.\u00a0 George died early and Anna raised their two young teen daughters.\u00a0 They were stable, but financially challenged from time to time and from Grandma, Bob had early lessons on resourcefulness.\u00a0 Bob was good with numbers, really good.\u00a0 He had the art of turning a dime into a dollar and still knew how to be true and happy even with the occasional reversal of fortune.\u00a0 He always had a book or three with him.\u00a0 Lake Michigan was irresistible and so he bought a house on a block with a view of the lake.\u00a0 Bob enjoyed boating, fishing and sometimes waterskiing.\u00a0 He turned up for the smelt runs; especially enjoying the mystique of the early hours when the fish run in the shallow waters. He sailed and crewed large sailboats and raced regattas with friends.\u00a0 He played around on Lake Michigan on a whip fast Hobie Cat and at times we sat dead in the water waiting for the winds and swatting at bothersome black flies that congregate in open waters.\u00a0 Bob once worked as a longshoreman and grew tan and more muscular.\u00a0 He liked lighthouses.\u00a0 He volunteered and worked on the Safety Around Water Coalition, Pike\u2019s River Kenosha Safety program which drew attention to the dangerous area.<\/p>\n
Bob enjoyed estate sales and sometimes gifted special people with special things.\u00a0 He liked a certain bakery in Kenosha and thought it was just great that they had Paczki on Fat Tuesday.\u00a0 He still subscribed and enjoyed reading a newspaper.\u00a0 He is known for mailing cartoon strips to share a laugh or a newspaper article of interest.\u00a0 Christmas presents always came in the same red and green plaid wrapping paper.\u00a0 No tag necessary, this was Bob\u2019s gift. He must have a locker of it somewhere.\u00a0 Others presents came wrapped in comic strips, maps or sometimes the finance section of the newspaper, when there was one.\u00a0 We had fun.<\/p>\n
As formative as all of his various education and experiences were, two thick books given to Bob quite early on made an impression and were read and reread.\u00a0 They were the collections of O\u2019Henry and Mark Twain. He remained an enthusiastic Twain fan.\u00a0 Bob took his humor on the wry and dry side, especially enjoying irony.\u00a0 Good thing for it, too.<\/p>\n
In 2014 he retired from Kenosha County Health and Human Services as a Financial Fraud Investigator.\u00a0 He protectively and lovingly watched over his father who, having become blind and a double amputee, resided at Brookside Nursing Home, Kenosha.\u00a0 Bob made sure that Dad attended the WWII Veterans Honor Flight, and travelled with Dad to Washington D.C. for a very special day.\u00a0 Bob once belonged to a team as an intake call volunteer for a Rape and Suicide helpline.\u00a0 He entertained a stint at the King Richard\u2019s Renaissance Faire, Bristol, WI, along with Shirley.\u00a0 He played guitar and had a nice voice.\u00a0\u00a0 Every Easter without fail our first greeting was always the same, \u201cHe is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!\u201d\u00a0 Bob was involved in Somers civic and community groups and did research for improvements.\u00a0 He regularly went to town meetings and was an active citizen.\u00a0 He voted and kept his views to himself.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been told that we have the same eyes, and I will miss looking to those eyes for a knowing look and a shared laugh over a shared memory.\u00a0 He was always my trusted big brother and my oldest friend.<\/p>\n
He leaves behind many loving friends.\u00a0 Grateful and loving sister, Georgianne Cox, Verona, WI. Cousins, Mildred Pecen, Chicago, IL and Victor Jon Griswold, North Canton, OH.<\/p>\n
A lunch with family and close family friends is scheduled for August 29, 1:00 p.m. following Bob\u2019s Memorial Service.<\/em><\/p>\n Casa de Gerhard <\/p>\n Lutheran Memorial Service for Robert J. Smuda<\/p>\n Tuesday, August 29, 2023<\/p>\n 10:00 \u2013 11:00 a.m. Fellowship Room – Arrival and Gathering<\/p>\n 11:00 \u2013 Noon\u00a0 Robert J. Smuda Memorial Service<\/p>\n 1:00 p.m. Lunch<\/p>\n Messiah Lutheran Church \u2013 Rev. James Roemke<\/p>\n 2026 22nd<\/sup> Ave<\/p>\n Kenosha WI 53140<\/p>\n Phone: 262.551-8182<\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Smuda, Robert J., \u00a0Born in Chicago, his early and formative years were in Hoffman Estates, IL and Arlington Heights, IL.\u00a0 His Lutheran education at St. Peter\u2019s Lutheran, Schaumburg, IL and spiritual instruction provided a firm foundation for life.\u00a0 At St. Peter\u2019s church he served as<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":6719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"service-location":[],"class_list":["post-11353","obituary","type-obituary","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/obituary\/11353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/obituary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/obituary"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11353"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"service-location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenoshafuneralhome.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service-location?post=11353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n3927 75th<\/sup> Street
\nKenosha, WI 53142
\n262.694.5212<\/p>\nInformaci\u00f3n del servicio<\/h3>\n