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Robert Van Fossen |
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Robert
Edward Van Fossen, age 67, departed this life peacefully in his sleep on
Thursday, February 6, 2025. Affectionately known as Bob, he was born on
May 16, 1957 in Columbus, Ohio to the late William S. Van Fossen, Jr. and
Jane Gray Van Fossen, as the youngest of six children. He
graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1975 after participating in
the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America (VICA), taking nearly every
shop course available, and working afternoons to learn the carpentry trade
at Robert T. Ellis, Inc. He attended The Ohio State University where he
was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity. Bob then spent the
next four decades working as a self-employed carpenter performing
exceptional kitchen and bathroom remodeling work in the greater Columbus
area. He
was an animal lover, and had many pets throughout his life including dogs,
cats, turtles, frogs, toads, and even a skink. Always interested in
insects, he once brought a praying mantis egg sac into his parents' house
only to forget about it and have hundreds of babies hatch from within. An
avid outdoorsman, Bob enjoyed sharing his passion for nature with his
children, taking them fishing at Rainbow Lakes and Twin Lakes, target
shooting and searching for arrowheads at the family farm in Adams Mills,
and visiting Ohio's many fairs, festivals, and historical sites. Wherever
they were heading, he always had a story ready to tell on the car ride. He
was a skilled gunsmith and knife maker and was rarely seen without a
camera around his neck or on his belt. He was a fixture in the Ohio gun
show circuit, a member of the NRA and OGCA, and a proud lifetime member of
the North American Fishing Club. Bob
leaves behind his two children, David (Danielle) Van Fossen and Megan
(Benjamin) Johnson, who will forever remember their dad's witty charm,
riveting stories of adventure and mischief, and the many hours they spent
fishing, traveling, and exploring life together. He
is also survived by his brother, William S. (Suellen) Van Fossen, III,
sisters, Cynthia Lacher, Margaret (Vaughn) Siegenthaler, and Julia
(Joseph) Calvario, sister-in-law, Jane Van Fossen, and many nieces,
nephews, cousins, and friends. Bob
was greeted in Heaven by his parents, brother, Brooke Van Fossen,
brother-in-law, John Lacher, and his beloved dog, Beej (short for Betty
Jane). A
memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2025
at the Schoedinger Worthington Chapel, 6699 North High Street,
Worthington, Ohio 43085. Prior to the service, friends may call from 1:00
p.m.-3:00 p.m. In
lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Ohio Wildlife Center in
Bob's memory.
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