Robert L. McCormick

​Robert L. McCormick, 85, died March 5, 2022 at Columbia/St Mary’s Hospital after bravely facing 30 years of serious medical conditions including cancer in his later years.  Bob survived longer that anyone thought possible to stay with his family.

Bob is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jacqueline (Cross) McCormick of Milwaukee, his daughter Leslie McCormick of Milwaukee, and his son John’s children Caroline, Adam, and Jesse McCormick of Missoula MT.  He is survived by his nieces Patricia, Susan and Nancy, his nephew Michael, and his brother-in-law Fraser Cross all living in Canada.  Bob is predeceased by his son John Malcolm in 2018 and his siblings Patricia and John Edward.

Born in 1936 in Brockville Ontario Canada to Leslie and Edith (Brownlee) McCormick, Bob spent his youth in Morrisburg, Ontario on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, enjoying boating and playing hockey.

After high school Bob worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway project and the Canadian/American joint venture on the Cold War Early Detection Warning system in the Arctic Circle.   Fascinated with these civil engineering feats and interactions with engineers from the U.S., Bob studied Civil Engineering at Tri State College in Angola Indiana.   Jackie joined Bob after their marriage in 1959.  He graduated with a B.S. in 1961.

Upon graduation, he accepted a position with Rieth-Riley, a heavy highway road and bridge construction company, headquartered in Goshen, Indiana.   Bob served Rieth-Riley and its ESOP employee owners with distinction for nearly sixty years as an employee, officer, President, Director, and Chairman of the Board of Directors until 2016 when he retired.

Bob and Jackie lived in South Bend where he was active in St Michael’s Episcopal Church and was very involved with the Irish Youth Hockey League at Notre Dame as a coach and head coach.  They later moved to Goshen where he was an active member of St James Episcopal Church and then moved in 2018 to Milwaukee to be near their daughter.  They settled in St John’s on the Lake, a retirement community.   Bob enjoyed looking out at the ships on Lake Michigan as it invoked memories of his time growing up on the St. Lawrence River.

A memorial service will be held in June in Milwaukee with interment taking place in Canada overlooking the St Lawrence.     In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St John’s Communities Foundation or a charity of your choice in Bob’s memory.