Robert (Bob) L. McGinty
GLADSTONE, MI – Robert (Bob) L. McGinty, age 83, of Gladstone, passed away Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Lakeview Memory Care Center in Gladstone, surrounded by family.
Robert was born on January 25, 1938, in Flint, MI, the son of Edward and Lilah (Ferguson) McGinty. He graduated from Flint High School in 1955. He graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Western Michigan University with a Masters of Science Degree, Michigan State with a Masters of Science Degree and Michigan State with a PhD in Math.
Bob taught math at Douglas MacArthur High School in Saginaw, and was a Math Professor at Northern Michigan University for 38 years. He served as the National President of SSMA (School Science and Mathematics Association), President of the National Council for Teachers of Math and President of the Michigan Council for Teachers of Math. He was united in marriage to Margaret Bays on February 14, 1981.
He was a licensed contractor who built many houses, and loved to spend time with his family, attending their sporting and musical events, camping, and traveling. In 1986, he and his family went to Malaysia where he taught university. He and Margaret lived in Hawaii after retirement, where Bob volunteered at the National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Kauai Humane Society. His love of animals was very clear with his contributions and fostering of many kittens for years at the Kauai Humane Society and the Delta County Animal Shelter. He and Margaret adopted 3 of the kittens they nursed to health.
He was a supporter of Players de Noc in Escanaba and the annual high school musical on Kauai, and attended as many plays as he could. Friends knew he was a kind, gentle, generous and caring man. Bob had a wonderful sense of humor and loved pranking anyone he could, especially his closest and dearest friends and family.
Robert is survived by his wife, Margaret McGinty of Gladstone; children, Michael (Robert Miley) McGinty of San Francisco, CA, Amy (Kirk) Cooper of Escanaba, Kira McGinty of Albany, NY, Brendan (Susan) McGinty of Arlington, VA; grandchildren, Alanna and Joshua Cooper, Conor and Finn McGinty; his brother, Ronald (Connie) McGinty of Sierra Vista, AZ; nephews, Chad and Todd McGinty of Arizona, sister-in-law, Verna Beach, numerous other nieces and nephews, and his favorite feline companion, Eddie.
Bob was preceded in death by parents, Lilah and Eddie McGinty, his first wife, Gail, and his brother-in-law, Jim Beach.
The family will celebrate Bob’s Life on Saturday, June 26, beginning at 2:00 PM, at the Kid’s Kingdom Pavilion, in Gladstone. For those who would like to celebrate Bob’s life with a donation, the family requests donations be directed to the Kauai (HI) Humane Society or the National Tropical Botanical Garden.