Obituary: Robert Wieber

As received from the Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes:

Robert H. Wieber of Houghton was called to his eternal home on November 27, 2021, after a long illness. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and family. Bob was born in Hancock on July 21, 1938; son of Robert and Ruth (Mueller) Wieber. His early childhood was spent in Manhattan, IL, until the family returned to Houghton in 1945.

Bob was a 1956 graduate of Houghton High School. He attended Michigan Technological University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics. He was a member of numerous organizations including Sigma Rho fraternity, student government, Blue Key, Varsity Rifle Team and Tau Beta Pi. During his senior year at MTU, Bob received the U.S. Treasury Department Life Saving Medal after saving a fisherman from drowning in Portage Lake. While attending MTU he met his sweetheart, Janet Mayer of Rudyard, MI. The two were married on June 18, 1960, at St. Joseph Church in Rudyard.

Bob and Jan began their life together in Fullerton, CA, where Bob worked for Hughes Aircraft and earned his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. At Hughes Aircraft, he worked on fixed-array radar for aircraft carriers. He went on to work on the Apollo Service Module attitude control system for North American Aviation (now part of Boeing) and on the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory for General Electric. While working for Moog, Inc., he was the General Manager of Moog Japan and later worked on components for the space shuttle program.

A devoted husband and loving father of six children, Bob was a wise and patient advisor and teacher. In 1983, the family returned to his hometown of Houghton. Locally, Bob was known as an instructor of electrical engineering at Michigan Tech and a business owner. From 1982 to 2004, he and Jan owned and operated the Vacationland Motel (currently Copper Country Inn) in Houghton. In 1998, he opened The College Bookshelf to serve the students of Michigan Tech. Bob retired in 2012.

Bob was a man of faith and a member of St. Ignatius Loyola parish in Houghton. He enjoyed many hobbies throughout his life including carpentry and hunting, but his passion was sailing. He and Jan enjoyed many years together sailing Portage Lake and the waters of the Great Lakes. He was a member of the Onigaming Yacht Club of Houghton. He was also a Boy Scout, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and serving as a Scout leader, and a founding member of the Screwball Hunting Club of Ontonagon.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents Robert F. and Ruth Wieber, sister Jane Neff, and son-in-law Jeff Talcott. He is survived by his wife Jan and his children: Bob Wieber of Nashville, TN; Denise Talcott of Sun City Center, FL; Jill (Jim) Johnson of Clarksville, TN; Ken Wieber of St. Augustine, FL; Tim (Annie) Wieber of Plymouth, MI; and Janine (Hal) Burton of Bark River, MI; daughter-in-law Michele Wieber of Clarksville, TN; as well as 17 grandchildren: Rob, Kristen, Natalie, Matthew, Cassidy, TJ, Allison, Sam, Ben, Nick, Tim, Jack, Ella, Hal, Amanda, Max, and Sean, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their deepest appreciation to the Aspirus Hospice team, especially Steve Foix, Scott Wagner and Roger Korby.

Services will be held at St. Ignatius Loyola church in Houghton on Saturday, December 4, with visitation at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00; Fr. John Martignon officiating.

To view Robert’s obituary or to send condolences to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net.

Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service of Hancock is assisting the family with arrangements