Robert Sawyer Rich

Manistique, Mich., was his birthplace, which he considered “HOME”. He grew up in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area, graduated from Las Vegas High School (NV), and lived several years each in Las Vegas, back “HOME” in Manistique, and the Salem, Ore., area.

Due to diabetes, Rob became legally blind and a double amputee, but lived as independently as possible with caregivers coming in, or in care facilities making many friends. We will all miss his attacks on our funny bones with his wit and banter. We’ll have no more unbelievable watercolor paintings, polished rock jewelry, or other crafts. He was a wanna-be, self-employed artist who never tired of art or music, and loved all children; most especially his nieces, Elisabeth and Victoria.

Rob was preceded in death by his father, Barry Rich, his grandparents, Walter and Ruby Rich & Robert and Dorothy Sawyer, and his Uncle Jerry and Aunt Sue Rich. His great-grandparents were Ethel and K.I Sawyer.

He is survived by his bonus dad and mother, Charlie and Susan (Sawyer) Rembert, his brother, James (Jennifer) Rich, nieces Elisabeth and Victoria Rich, and ex-sister-in-law Amanda, all of Salem, Ore. Also surviving him are his Aunt Marsha (Tom) Klarich, Aunt Jane (Bob) Spencer, and first cousins: Jack (Holly), Dan, and Bobby Brown, Tony (Christa) and Ronnie (Donna) Klarich, Laurie (Dan) McKinney, Ken (Ditas) and David (Stella) Spencer.

A funeral/celebration of Rob’s life will be held in Manistique on Monday, Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. Internment is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m. at the Fairview Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials for Rob be sent to St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Manistique, or to the Diabetes Education Department of Schoolcraft County, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital (SCMH.org).