- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1949
- Date Of Death: January 4, 2022
- State: Illinois
Robert A. “Bob” Shay, 72, of Rochester, IL and formerly of Jacksonville, IL, passed away Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at The Villas Senior Care Center in Sherman, IL following a seven-year battle with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
Bob was born October 28, 1949, in Jacksonville, the son of Leo Harvey and Doris Rolfe Shay. He married Pamela Elaine Selway on May 21, 1972, in Jacksonville and she survives.
He is also survived by two children, Erik Robert Shay (wife, Emily) of Watseka and Sara Elizabeth (Shay) Randazzo (husband, Giovanni) of Springfield; four grandchildren, Ethan and Eli Shay and Joseph and Michael Randazzo; a sister, Marion Seymour (husband, Donald) of Arenzville; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A 1967 graduate of Jacksonville High School, Bob also received a BA degree from Illinois College in 1972 and a MS degree from University of Illinois-Springfield in 1975. He began a distinguished career in law enforcement with the City of Jacksonville Police Department and later joining the Crime Prevention Commission. He then served as the administrative assistant to the Springfield Chief of Police prior to joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1983. He served several communities across Illinois including as Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) with the Champaign Resident Agency focusing on Foreign Counter-Intelligence, and International and Domestic Terrorism. In 2003, he was named the SSA of the newly created Joint Terrorism Task Force based in Springfield and later added collateral duty as a hostage negotiator. Following his retirement from the FBI in 2006, Bob was named Marshall of the Illinois Supreme Court.
Bob was a dedicated member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chatham, where he currently served as President of the Congregation. He formerly served his church as an Elder and as chairman of the security committee.
In past years, Bob coached tee-ball, baseball, and soccer. He was an active member and past president of the Jacksonville Jaycees. And in his spare time, he enjoyed fishing and working on carpentry projects.
