Robert Patenaude

Robert “Bob” W. Patenaude, 86, of Sun Prairie (formally of Middleton and Saumico, WI), passed away peacefully on January 10, 2017 following a heart attack in November. Bob was born on April 10, 1930 in Green Bay. Eldest child of Francis and Margaret (Kennedy) Patenaude. From an early age Bob showed an interest and appreciation for the outdoors. This also led to his chosen profession in Geology. Bob earned his P.h.D in Geophysics in 1967 from the U.W. Madison. Bob worked for the WI DOT, Madison location, for many years. Prior he had worked for Hunt Oil Co. He also enjoyed working in the Antarctic region for the US Geological Survey office. Not one to sit still, Bob had many outside interests and was happiest when outdoors. He embraced many interests to include flying (and was a pilot for the Shawano civil air patrol), scuba diving, sailing, canoeing/ kayaking, and biking. Much to his family's surprise, Bob decided in retirement to obtain his motorcycle license and liked taking his Goldwing along the country roads of Brown County. Bob and his wife enjoyed time with their ski club and ice skating group in Green Bay. Bob loved down- hill skiing and shared this passion with his family. He skied in the UP until age 85. One of his favorite past times though was simply being outdoors on his wooded acreage in Suamico. Bob married a Green Bay gal, Mary Leaper, who he met through Mary's older brothers. They settled in Middleton, WI where they raised their two daughters, and later retired in Suamico, WI from 1997- 2012. Bob felt fortunate to have lived such a long and full life and claimed he didn't have anything left he had to cross off on his bucket list. Bob valued learning and life experiences and he truly treated age as just a number. Those who knew Bob would likely describe him as genuine, intelligent and as one not afraid to follow the beat of his own drum. Bob is survived by his wife Mary, two daughters, Kate (Brad) Grace, and Meg (Luke) Murphy- Greeley, Co, Bob's sisters Jean and Nancy, and brother Mike (Judy). He was preceded in death by his eldest sister Peg. Bob's wishes were not to have a service but rather, gather for a celebration of his life at a later date. Many thanks to Bob's friends, Agrace Hospice Care, Senior Helpers and the caring Staff at Willows N

Tuschen-Newcomer Funeral Home
Sun Prairie, WI 608-837-5400
www.newcomerfh.com

Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit–
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

– Edgar A. Guest

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