Robert J. Roskam
June 2, 1926 – September 7, 2021
A funeral service will take place at Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. A time of visitation will be held at the funeral home prior to the service beginning at 10:00 AM. Interment with full military honors will follow at Ft. Custer National Cemetery at 1:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Texas Corners Bible Church, the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission or a charity of one’s choice.
Obituary
Age 95, went to be with his Lord and Savior on September 7, 2021. Robert was born in Kalamazoo on June 2, 1926, to Arie and Gertrude (Schrier) Roskam. After attending WMU, he served with the US Army of Occupation in Japan, attended Dunwoody School of Baking and served stateside during the Korean Conflict. Robert was the co-owner, along with his mother, of Mary Lou Bakery for 30 years. He was also employed by the Kalamazoo Country Club for 11 years and Joldersma & Klein Funeral Home. Robert enjoyed bowling, bluegill fishing, umpiring Little League baseball and church league softball games and driving for the Shepherd’s Center. He loved to sing God’s music at Bethel Baptist Church and Texas Corners Bible Church in the choir, male and mixed quartets and in the Singing Crusaders Male Chorus. As a violinist, Robert was a charter member of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony. On June 12, 1953, he married Elizabeth “Betty” James who preceded him in death in 2016, after 62 years of marriage. Robert is survived by his children, James (Carol) Roskam, Jan (Dan) Rhodes and Carol (Randy) Holcomb; sisters, Marjorie Taylor and Dorothy Short and sister in-law, Jerre James. He is also survived by six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. The family would like to express their gratitude to Robert’s recent caregivers, including the staff at Brookdale Assisted Living, Park Village Pines/Oakview Terrace and Kindred Hospice.
I first met Robert in the Texas Corners Bible Church Choir. I sang soprano and he sang bass. We started singing together in a mixed quartet. He had a beautiful bass voice. I later became the choir director and Robert continued to be huge part of the choir. He was an ardent supporter of the choir, even after he felt he could no longer participate. I’m sure he is singing bass in the heavenly choir, praising his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
Mr. Roskam and Almond Paste were intertwined for me – he is the one who supplied me with blocks of it when I first came to Kalamazoo…. May the Lord surround you, his family, with His comfort, and His peace as you continue to honor the Christian legacy he left for you over his many years of life.
Our family would like to express our sympathy. We are Betty’s cousins, the Children of Marion and Ella James. Norma (Sam) Vander Ploeg, Lester James, Carol (Richard) Schiedel, Roy (Janet) James Richard also sang with Robert in the Singing Crusaders