Sun Prairie
Robert J. Urban, age 81, passed away at Agrace Hospice on December 15, 2023. He was born on July 31, 1942 in Columbus to Frank and Bertha (Kelly) Urban and raised in East Bristol. Bob married Evelyn Leahy on April 7, 1973 in Waunakee.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1960-1966 and was on the U.S.S. Spiegel Grove for part of that time. Bob was very proud of serving his country and being a Navy man. He worked at Gishelt Machine Company, WI. Porcelain, and Seal Graphics.
Bob is survived by: his wife Evelyn; daughters Michelle Lewis and Nancy (Michael) Iselin; grandchildren, Ashley, Brianna, Brooke (Jeff), Eli and Elijah; great-grandchildren, Madison, Liberty, Allaina, Zoey, Jaxon and Peter; a brother, Frank (Rosie) Urban of TN; two sisters, Elizabeth Waller of FL and Kathleen Danielson of WI.; as well as many nieces and nephews.
Bob is preceded in death by: his parents; son Terry; grandson Joshua; brother Daniel Urban; and sisters, Martha Mautz and Edith Imhoff.
Bob was someone who loved life and found enjoyment in many things with a smile on his face. One being Saturday nights spent at Angell Park Speedway with family, where wonderful memories were made throughout the years. Another was his favorite fishing spot at Bob and Edith’s cottage, where he also hung out on the pontoon boat. Bob also enjoyed traveling. Highlighting two of the many vacations, would be trips to Jamaica and Hawaii (where the “white knuckled” helicopter ride was his favorite).
During Bob’s working years he often enjoyed coming home to fix lawn mowers for friends and family, always with his Diet Rite in hand. As he got older, and his dementia progressed, his riding lawn mower was the only thing he was allowed to drive. Just like every other obstacle he faced in life, he never let any problem get
in the way of his end goal, which oftentimes happened to be wanting a donut. So, driving his lawn mower to the nearest gas station for donuts may have happened more than once. Animals and kids were also important to Bob. His earliest childhood pet was a potbelly pig. We have yet to confirm if the pig is real or not, as Bob had an awesome sense of humor.
Most of all, he loved being a Dad and a Grandpa, always so patient. It didn’t take too much for him to cave when the kids would give him puppy eyes. He loved, so dearly, being Grandpa to five grandchildren and even more when he was promoted to Great-grandpa with the birth of his first great-grandchild Madison. That total has now grown to six great-grandkids. Nothing brought a smile or laugh to his face quicker than watching his great-grandchildren interact with him. What really put a smile on his face was oftentimes picking them up when he was told not to,
hearing that giggle was priceless. All the way up until his passing, he sang and danced to all the best Kids Bop songs, with Danny Go being his personal favorite. In his final days, Bob got to see all his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cracking smiles to each one of them until the very end.
Family was the most important thing to Bob. He was most happy spending time with his family whether that was at the racetrack, a fish fry, playing a game of Euchre, campfires, or family events. He never missed an opportunity to slow dance with Ev at those family events; he took so much pride in often being the couple with the longest lasting marriage. 50 years of pure love and commitment to his beloved wife Ev.
Ev was by his side every day, being his caretaker for over 10 years as he battled his dementia, until he took his final breath. Bob and Ev were truly the definition of “in sickness and in health,
until death do us part.” Although Bob was often unable to show his appreciation for everything Ev did, in the end, he showed by shedding his final tear with her as they had their “last dance”
together to Wagon Wheel. That tear was a true representation of the undying, everlasting love they shared.
We are all stories in the end, remembered by the adventures we had, and the people we loved. Continue putting those puzzle pieces in place to keep his story going, and Bob’s legacy will live
on.
A Burial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Southern WI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 217331 Spring St., Union Grove, WI. 53182.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at the Sun Prairie United Methodist Church, 702 North St. Sun Prairie. A visitation will be held at 12:00 p.m. until the time of service. A luncheon will follow at the church.