Robert “Bob” St.Amour

He was born on June 6, 1952, in Munising, the second of seven children to Bob “Hoot” and Peg (Chase) St.Amour. Bob’s childhood summers were spent with his brothers and sisters at their family camp on Miners Beach. He held fond memories of swimming, fishing, riding dirt bikes, and getting into mischief with his brothers and sisters.

Always a hard worker, Bob started working at the local A&P grocery store at the ripe age of 15. He graduated from William G. Mather High School in 1970 and continued working at the store under his mentor, Mr. Patzer. After pursuing Dianne “DeeDee” for some time, she finally agreed to date him. Bob’s persistence paid off, and they were married on June 22, 1974.

A year later, they took a leap of faith and bought the A&P store on Elm Street, starting their lifelong partnership running Bob’s IGA. In less than a year, they began their second great adventure of parenthood, welcoming their first daughter, Bobbie Jo, and later completing their family with Amy and Glen. The store truly became a family affair. It began with the kid’s making forts and doing homework in the office and evolved into them working in whatever roles were needed. Bob worked side-by-side with his children, grandchildren, and innumerable loyal employees, all of whom quickly learned that there was a very specific “right way” to do things. While the store didn’t leave many opportunities for long-distance travel early on, the family cherished their summers camping at Pete’s Lake to enjoy well-deserved time away together.

Bob was a great dad and a true friend to his children. He had a unique way of connecting with them, often sharing long, meaningful phone conversations, and he always went out of his way to visit. From grandchildren’s birthday parties and sporting events to dance recitals, Bob was always there. He possessed a lifelong passion for learning and problem-solving. Bob helped his parents build their home on Powell Lake, completely remodeled his own home, and helped all of his children and many siblings with their own home projects. He instilled in his children and grandchildren the ingenuity and fixing skills he sharpened by running a business. He was immensely proud when his kids conquered a new project and loved updating everyone on their handiwork. Truly, Bob knew almost everything–he was ChatGPT before it even existed.

On November 28, 2017, his beloved DeeDee died unexpectedly and peacefully in her sleep after over forty-three years of marriage. Bob continued to run the store, honoring their shared legacy and keeping her memory alive.

On May 17, 2023, Bob officially retired. Always a man who stayed busy, he immediately “got busy living.” He took his sister Judy, children, and several grandchildren on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate their retirement and was constantly looking for the next big adventure. He and his sister, Judy, became inseparable adventure partners–camping, attending off-road races, kayaking, traveling, and riding E-bikes together. They always had a project in the works, and Bob always had the next one planned. As one of his grandkids beautifully put it, “Aunt Judy gave Grandpa his good days.”

Bob’s generosity and dedication to Munising cannot be measured; this community meant the world to him. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and others and sponsored countless local teams, from bowling to baseball. Many customers will fondly remember his willingness to carry groceries to their cars–a simple act of kindness reflecting his genuine respect for everyone. Bob’s IGA served as a vital steppingstone that shaped the futures of countless local workers whom he loved like family. Though his retirement was far too short, it was incredibly full of travel, adventure, love, and laughs. On his very last day of work at the store, Bob stood in the doorway, looked at his employees, and told them, “This is not goodbye, this is see you later.”

Bob is survived by his children – Bobbie (Kris) MacArthur of Munising, Amy (Alex) Ostrander of Lake Ann, MI, and Glen (Hope) St.Amour of Manistique; grandkids – Emily, Daniel (Ashlyn), Megan (Ben), Hunter (Alissa), Jordan (Jasmyn), Jonathon, Leighla, Chloe, Samuel, Olivia and Angela; great-grandchildren – Esther, Maci, Xyla, Arya, Selah, Theo, and Finnian; siblings – Kathy (Ted) Covey, John (Brenda) St.Amour, Jim (Carol) St.Amour, Carol (Keith) Santti, Judy St.Amour, and Gary (Theresa) St.Amour; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, his aunts Nancy Murray and Eileen St.Amour; and many past employees who loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hoot and Peg; his wife, DeeDee; his brother in law Bob Soles, and sisters-in law Beth Soles and Sharon Mookhoek, his nephew, Barry Johnson; and his niece, Laura St.Amour.

Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday, July 17, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Additional visiting time will be held on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at the Munising Baptist Church in Wetmore from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Pastor Jason LaFlamme will conduct Bob’s funeral service at the church at 12:00 noon.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to be made to the Alger Community Food Pantry or any local program that helps disadvantaged community members.

To honor Bob’s final sign-off to a community he loved so well: This is not goodbye, this is see you later.

Bob’s obituary and online guestbook may be found at bowermanfuneralhome.net.