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Show Obituaries Show Guestbook Show Photos QR Code PrintA memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church, 321 South St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church Music Program or Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan.
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Age 87, passed away on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. Robert was born in Cadillac, Michigan on February 23, 1932, the son of the late Severn and Eva (Roper) Bloomquist. He was a graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School and received his bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Western Michigan University. Robert was drafted in the United States Army after graduation from WMU and served his country honorably until 1957. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan. On September 19, 1959, Robert was united in marriage to Beverly Jean Klimp. He worked as a clinical social worker for most of his life and was employed by the Children’s Mental Health Center in Columbus, OH, the Battle Creek VA Medical Center and retired from Lakeside Boys and Girls Residence in 1994, as the Director of Social Services. He was a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo, where he served on the Session, was a Deacon and Joint Deacon, an usher and enjoyed serving at the Men’s Breakfast. Robert also enjoyed volunteering for the food pantry and humane society, visiting with his dog at local senior centers, doing travelogue presentations around the community and tutoring students at Edison Elementary School. He was an avid world traveler and mountain hiker, visiting the Himalayas, Africa, Australia, Alaska, Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Peru, the Galapagos Islands and many more countries. Robert loved photography and was a distance runner, having run in six marathons, including the Boston Marathon at age 71 and ran his last half marathon at age 81. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Beverly Bloomquist; daughters, Dawn (Lou) Rhodes, Lisa (Jeff) Layer and Ann Marie (Bill) Gray; grandchildren, Katie and Jonathan Rhodes, Michael (Lizzi) Layer, Rebecca (Luis) Hernandez and Emily and Jim Gray; and great-grandson, Luka John Hernandez. Besides his parents, Robert was preceded in death by siblings, Donald Bloomquist, Dorothy Pretzer, Kenneth Bloomquist and Virginia Bloomquist.