Obituary for Robert Etem | David Lee Funeral Home & Cremation Services
- Date Of Birth: July 18, 1931
- Date Of Death: September 3, 2013
- State: Michigan
Etem, Robert Richard age 82, of Wayzata. Father, grand- father, great- grandfather, brother, uncle, friend and companion, Bob left us peacefully on September 3, 2013 at his home in Wayzata after a day spent looking at his photographs and listening to his favorite short stories and music. Born in Minneapolis on July 18, 1931, Bob graduated from Washburn High School in 1949 and attended the University of Minnesota, receiving his dental degree in 1955 and an advanced degree in orthodontics in 1958. Bob was a captain in the Air Force and was stationed at McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. He began his nearly 30-year orthodontic practice in 1959 in Wayzata. Formerly on the staff of the U of M Dental School, he was also a past consultant to the Cleft Palate Advisory Clinic at the U of M, past president of the Midwest and Minnesota Society of Orthodontics, The Wayzata Rotary Club, and past moderator of Wayzata Community Church, in addition to many other honors and leadership positions. Bob possessed a keen intellect and a passion for learning across vast and diverse subject areas. Bob cherished his time on his beloved 17 acre farm in Medina. A true gentleman farmer, he cultivated his amazing garden, raised horses and cattle, and designed and built practical and beautiful woodwork. Bob married Virginia Lee Johnson in Minneapolis on June 24, 1955 and, over the course of their 54 year marriage, resided in Minnetonka, Medina and Plymouth. Ginny passed away in March 2009. Bob was also preceded in death by his parents, Ethel and Victor Etem. Bob is survived by his children: Virginia Byers (John) of Medina, Thomas Etem (Dolane) of Maple Lake, Christine Litsey (Calvin) of Los Altos, CA; his grandchildren: Cammack and Mitchell Byers, Crystal, Jeremy (Kezia McCarty), and Chase (Samuel Peterson) Etem and Sean and Cambria Litsey; great-granddaughter, Jayda; brother, George Etem (Helen) of Banning, CA, Patricia Wiens (Jerome) of Spring Park, and Virginia Muehlberg (Steven) of Bloomington; companion, Bette Johnson of Wayzata, nieces and nephews and devoted friends.
Facts Born: July 18, 1931
Death: September 3, 2013