Robert Baldridge:
CLASS OF 1980
Rockford High SchoolClass of 1980
Rockford, MI
University of Michigan - DentistryClass of 1986
Ann arbor, MI
Parkside Elementary SchoolClass of 1973
Rockford, MI
Robert's Story
For starters, this is Rob's Widow.
Rob was a father of three beautiful daughters, twins the first time around and than just one the next. He was a super dad, he changed diapers, gave them baths, and he gave them constant attention, the twins were collicky, and that was hell! But Lily was quiet and slept alot, she was his favorite, LOL.
I worked every Easter, so he was the Easter Bunny!! He would hide their baskets, and video tape their search, laughing when they couldn't find them, and they were so obvious! He taught them to ride there bikes, (always wanting them in long sleeves and long pants in the summer) but he hated to see them get hurt.
Rob also was a great dentist to many... I'll never forget the young patients standing at his coffin crying, some had retainers he had made, in their little mouths, some had braces, he had put on.
Rob was a joker, he did so many funny things in his lifetime, I don't have room for it all. Here are a few...
When Rob and I were dating, I worked at the Meijers on Alpine, and there is a, run off in the middle of the ramp going from 96 to 131, run off for the Grand River. One time we had so much rain, it was like a huge pond, and I could see fish jumping and everything, this was on my drive home. A couple days later I'm with Rob, and I tell him about the fish jumping, and he shot up off the couch, and runs back and changes into dark clothes, I was puzzled, oh he says why didn't you say something before, lets go catch some fish! I'm like, what do you mean, its off the highway!! He didn't care, it was dark, and he drove over there, I stayed in the car, thinking omg, what the ! He came back disappointed, because the water had gone down, and if there were fish, they were dead. I just laughed. He kept saying on the drive home, "you should have called me that day," on and on, I just laughed and laughed.
Okay were still dating and we go on vacation to Florida, where there is this place called Honeymoon Island, and it has this big nature walk, (reminds me of walking through Fred Meijers Garden) all these cactus and different species of...Expand for more
flowers, that are named with a plaque. Well Rob just had to pretend he was sitting on a cactus for a photo op. and yes he did actually sit on it and get it in the bottom. I laughed and laughed. (still laughing)!!!
One more for now...
Like I said Rob changed the diapers too! I know, Lucky me. He had a certain way of doing it... He would wipe them clean, and then put the new diaper under them, and then not shut it until he has fanned them dry... completely.... and they would pee before he even had a chance to put on the desitin! Happened almost every time! I told him he was lucky we didn't have boys! They pee up, not down!! I laughed and laughed (still laughing)
Okay, I will have to add more funnys at a later time, lets move on...
Rob was also very kind, my father, Robert VanderMey, was given the fatal last words from his doctors, they couldn't do anymore for him, he had colon cancer for two years and it spread through his body, up to his brain and it was killing him. Rob would go visit my dad on his lunch breaks, and after work, he spent as much time with him as he possilbly could. Rob even helped put a new roof on my dad's house, my dad's last worry was his wife would be left with a leaky roof. I always stopped after work, but I worked seconds, so I made sure he heard me say good night before he fell asleep. The last night, we were sure, I went home and told Rob I was staying there to help my stepmom, and that my dad was probably not going to make it through the night, and Rob just started bawling! As did I. Rob was taking care of his mom's alcohol problem, so he couldn't be there, he had to go to a meeting that night, and though my dad lived till ten the next morning, he was at a intervention for his mom. He came soon after, to join us all in mourning.
Okay, Rob was going through what I call his mid-life crisis, he had already bought a fancy car, he never had done that in his life! Then he bought his scooter, I thought it looked more like a motorcycle! He loved that scooter and he would ride around having the time of his life, and I believe he still is.....
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