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Bob Lake
Robert “Bob” Louis Lake, 78, of Scottville, passed away on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with family by his side after a short, hard fight with a very cruel disease.
Bob was born on May 24, 1947, in Ludington, the son of Ervin Riley Lake and Dorothy Ann (Swanson) Vreeland. He attended Catholic Central High School in Muskegon his freshman year, Ludington High School his sophomore and junior years, and graduated from Mason County Eastern High School with the class of 1965. After graduating high school, Bob went on to attend Oakland University and West Shore Community College, earning an associate degree in electronics technology in 1978.
He married Dawn Marie Kaatz on April 14, 1973, and they shared 52 years together.
Bob proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.
Bob started his career with Metalworks in final assembly before being quickly promoted off the line as a systems administrator working with computers, which was his love and passion. He took Metalworks from the dark ages to the computer age. Bob developed a computer program to track customer issues that progressed into all aspects of Metalworks computers. He worked tirelessly on issues and was always available to help during computer emergencies. After 35 years of employment with Metalworks, he retired in January of 2023. Bob loved his work family, and his work family speaks very highly of him.
He also worked as a hod carrier in masonry for many years for his stepfather Robert Vreeland and then for his brother Rich Lake’s masonry business. Bob had also managed Radio Shack in Ludington for several years.
Although Bob told others he was never a happy-go-lucky person, that is not how others viewed him. He always had a joke to share and found ways to make others laugh. Bob looked out for his family as well as others. He would give the shirt off his back to help others. He was a very smart, kind, loving man. Bob always had the answers and knew how to fix everything. His family was extremely important to him, and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the apple of his eye.
Bob clearly enjoyed electronics and fixing and building computers. He loved spending time making memories with family, especially traveling to the Upper Peninsula and other places. Bob was a lover of “Star Wars,” “Star Trek,” anything sci-fi, and Marvel superhero movies.
Bob will be dearly missed by his wife, Dawn; father Ervin Lake; children Lisa (Feister) Patulski (husband Michael Patulski Jr.), Jason (Lisa) Lake, Brian Lake, and Rachel (John) Brummett; grandchildren Leana (Timothy) Tarrant, Jacob Lake, Jordan Lake, Michael Patulski III, Chasey Lake, Lillis “LiLi” Lake, Abigail “Abby” Lake, and Conner Brummett; great-grandchildren Mackenzie and Emerson Tarrant; brothers Richard “Rich” (Lois) Lake of Arizonia, Thomas “Tom” Lake of Muskegon, and Dennis “Randall” (Rachel) Lake of California; sister Darla (Russell) Crouse of Muskegon; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother Dorothy (Swanson) Vreeland and stepfather Robert “Bob” Vreeland.
There will be a celebration of life for Bob for family and friends of the family to come together and enjoy food and to share our favorite stories and memories, to remember a wonderful man who is greatly missed. The Celebration of Life will be held Saturday June 21, 2025, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Whiskey Creek Lodge, 5080 Sippy Road, Custer. Although not required, if you would like, in honor of Bob you can wear something he liked – suggestions from family are computers, electronics, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel heros, lilacs, and Hawaiian.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Robert L. Lake Revocable Trust Agreement dated September 14, 2023, to assist with medical bills and final costs.
Arrangements were entrusted to Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington, www.OakGroveLudington.com
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