Robert Stanley was born on Sunday, April 16, 1944 in Hamilton to parents Mel and Ilene (Zimmerman) Lewis. He was the oldest of five children and in time was joined by Ann, Larry, Meryl and Dan. The Lewis family owned a farm in Kilbride (North Burlington) where they specialized in growing vegetables. After his elementary education Bob decided to stay home and help his parents on the farm. In addition to their garden market, the Lewis family attended and sold their produce at the market in Guelph every week.
At the age of 17, Bob went to work for W.R. Barns in Waterdown operating a dump truck. His wage? It was 1962 and he was earning $0.97 an hour. It was during this time that Bob’s friend, Don wanted to date one of Marion Evelyn Forth’s close friends. Louie with the 283 was Bob’s nickname and the rest is history. The couple were married on March 8, 1963 in Waterdown. The young couple soon welcomed their first son Wayne later that year and Randy in 1965.
Bob took on a new job with Aldershot Equipment in 1967 were he once again drove truck. This meant that the family needed to relocate to Bruce County whereby they took up residence on the 10th of Bruce in 1968. In time, Bob spent a short time with hydro before buying his dad’s dairy herd and relocating them to Bruce Township. It was also during this time that Marion and Bob welcomed two more sons, Paul (1970) and Jim (1972). The Lewis family continued to dairy farm until 1986 whereby they moved into Paisley. Not one to sit still, Bob soon bought a tractor and drove truck for Lloyd Hutton Transport until his declining health forced him to retire in 2009, at the age of 65.
Bob often came across as a grumpy, pessimistic, introvert. Although often displaying a rough and tough exterior, Bob was one of the softest, gentlest men when you got past that tough exterior. He loved his kids deeply and worked hard for anything they wanted or needed. He also liked to keep close tabs on his four boys. He was so proud of all of them and the men they all became.
He enjoyed puttering around in the garden and always treasured his time out on the lawnmower cutting the grass. In his younger years the family often spent time camping at Arran Lake and Saugeen Bluffs. He and Marion also enjoyed their dances, whether it was the Formosa Jamboree or a Saturday night at the Paisley Inn. Bob was always up for a night out. This in turn led to his fair share of tough mornings (as we have all experienced), as he was the first to admit that he was hard on his body. In his later years Bob would often remind his sons to go “easy on the booze, look what it did to me.” He was a meat and potatoes man, who also loved the hot, summer months. If he was watching TV it was usually Bonanza or a Western classic as he could never get enough of John Wayne. Bob loved his trucks and tractors and therefore enjoyed collecting miniature replicas.
In the 80’s, Marion and Bob enjoyed travelling extensively in the States, particularly Tennessee and Florida. They also experienced Spain in 2008. Bob was also known to soften up a bit with age, as there was no way pets were welcome in the house in his younger years. However, in recent years it didn’t matter if you were a dog, cat or any other animal, all were welcome in Bob’s home. Another staple in Bob’s day was his Brylcreem. No day was complete without at least one application of this beloved product.
One might have said it best when a close friend referred to Bob as “grumbling, rumbling and cursing, but in the end, he was one of the best there was!”
Sadly, Bob passed away suddenly on Monday, January 15, 2018 in his 74th year.
Beloved husband of Marion (Forth). Loving father of Wayne (Lauri), Randy (Gina), Jim (Allana), all of Paisley and Paul of Chesley. Bob will be sadly missed by his fourteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Brother of Ann Harper, Meryl (Lynn), Dan (Sheila) and brother-in-law of Linda Lewis. Bob will also be missed by the entire Forth family and his close friends. He was predeceased by his brother Larry and parents Mel and Ilene (Zimmerman) Lewis.
Visitation will be held at Rhody Family Funeral Home, Chesley on Friday, January 19, 2018 from 11 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 1 p.m.Cremation to follow.
Memorial donations to The Kidney Foundation of Canada or Diabetes Canada would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.
