Robert (Bob) Pyne was born October 17th, 1945, in San Diego, CA to Harold E. and Maxine Lucille (Frere) Pyne. Bob spent several of his childhood years growing up in Jacksonville, FL, where he graduated from Bishop Kenney High School in 1963. He discovered an affinity for working on cars as a summer job at a tire shop. Drawn to their top-notch automotive engineering program, at age 17, he set out for Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University. His education was interrupted by a decision to return to Jacksonville to voluntarily enlist in the Air Force. He served honorably as a medic during the Viet Nam war from 1965 to 1969. After returning from service, his fondness for Kalamazoo drew him back there and he met his former wife and mother of 4 of his children, Sandra (Bontekoe) Pyne. He ran a gas and service station near campus for several years before moving on to other occupations, including working for over decade at Simpson Paper in Vicksburg, MI.

From the time he was 15 years old and was able to ride his cousin Pansy’s horse in Fort Pierce, FL, Bob was captivated. After that, his dream was to have horses of his own. In 1975, the house he lived in for 50 years in Vicksburg was purchased so that he would have a large amount of property for a horse pasture and barn. He kept horses most of that time and used some of the land to grow their hay. He became a member of the Kal Val Saddle Club for many years where he was a competitive contester and served for a period of time on the board. He also became a member of the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Mounted Division in the 1980s. During this time, he learned the farrier trade and worked part time as blacksmith for around 20 years. In the early 1990s, he ventured into team roping with his son, Rob, and became a member of the Michigan Ropers’ Association. Bob was a skilled team roper and won numerous awards and acknowledgements throughout his time in the MRA.

Bob led a full life with a number of other interests as well. He was athletic and enjoyed playing baseball and softball, he liked to fish, he loved animals, he was a country music enthusiast and the rodeo channel’s greatest fan. He always had a mug of coffee in hand and he was born with an undeniable sweet tooth, especially when it came to his mother’s recipe for German Chocolate Cake. Above all, he was extremely proud of his 5 children, and his favorite pastime later in life was spending time with his many grandchildren and watching their recitals, awards ceremonies, graduations and rodeo and sporting events.

Bob is survived by his children, Sharon Biesenthal of Norfolk, VA, Erika (Robert) Garcia of Indio, CA, Rob (Stassi) Pyne of Bellevue, MI, Richard (Emily) Pyne of Vicksburg, MI; grandchildren Brittany Carter and John Surin, Gibson and Brennan Brown, Colten and Taylor Pyne, Audri and Ivan Pyne; brother Daniel Pyne of St. George, UT, sister and best friend Mary Proctor of Kalamazoo, MI; 3 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his friend and former wife Sandra, his daughter Katrina Brown, his grand-daughter Ally Brown and his brother Stephen Pyne.

The family would like to give special thanks to Wings of Hope Hospice and the caring staff at Fountain View Memory Care.