Robert Benjamin (Bob) Thompson

Robert (Bob) Benjamin Thompson died peacefully at his home under Hospice care on January 13th, 2020. He was 85 years old. He was born to Paul and Dorothy in Toledo, Ohio on December 17, 1934. He attended Macomber High School where he played football on one of the school’s early teams. After school he took many interesting jobs until hiring out on the Toledo Terminal Railroad which led to a 45 year career with CSX retiring in 1996 as an Assistant General Trainmaster. In 1956, he married Angela Grill and moved to Point Place in Toledo, Ohio where they lived and celebrated 60 years of marriage. They raised two successful and accomplished children in Point Place. Bob had grown up in the Point where his father settled and operated Gulf Gas Stations on Summit St.  Sailing was a passion for Bob starting with sailing out of Jolly Rogers in the 60’s and moving to North Cape Yacht Club in 1973.  He owned a Nipper, Interlake and eventually an O’Day 27 named Wild Thing. Bob and Angela started their own flower shop in 1981, Angela’s Flower’s & Gifts, and provided beautiful flowers and arrangements for many appreciative friends and customers from all over.  They were active members of the Point Place Business Association and served many business and individual accounts.  They enjoyed employing many people through the years and helping many to pursue their dreams. Bob and Angela were active in their parish church (St. John the Baptist Catholic Church) and later in Angela’s own mother’s church (St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church). They were also active and supportive of their children’s school activities and participated in numerous activities at both Notre Dame and St. Francis where their children attended high school. They were constantly entertaining their children’s neighborhood, high school, and college friends and became  “family-like” figures for many of them. If asked, Bob would tell you his greatest accomplishments was seeing their daughter complete her doctorate in molecular biology and become a successful genetics researcher at the University of Florida and their Eagle Scout son, who also attained advanced graduate degrees in economics, become a successful financial professional with Merrill Lynch. Bob and his family were also active at North Cape Yacht Club where he and Angela were members since 1974. While Bob and the children enjoyed sailing, Angela relished the many life-long friends and relationships they developed over the years at North Cape and which they maintained long after their sailing days were behind them. The annual Spaghetti Dinner that the Thompson’s helped organize and run (and for which she prepared gallons of tomato sauce) was one of the high-lights of North Cape for many years. After selling Angela’s Flower’s & Gifts, Bob and Angela enjoyed traveling the U.S. and Canada, taking in all the sights both outdoors and indoors. As they grew older, their greatest enjoyment was spending time with their family, friends and special neighbors. He is preceded in death by his parents Paul & Dorothy, sister Prudence and  wife Angela and is survived by their daughter, Andrea (Kevin) Kohn and son, Robert (Dana) Thompson. He is also survived by his brother Tony (Susie) and sister, Karen  and many nieces and cousins. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in West Toledo on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 11 AM. A gathering of friends and family to celebrate Bob’s life will be held immediately after the Memorial Service at North Cape Yacht Club in LaSalle, Michigan exit 9 off I-75. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Boy Scouts of America, Erie Shores Council located in Sylvania, OH or The American Cancer Society located in Perrysburg, OH.