Robert (Bob) Eugene DeMaris, 66

Bob was born on November 26, 1958, in Babbitt, MN, to Bert and Leona DeMaris. Growing up on the Iron Range, he was the eldest of five siblings.

From the beginning, Bob was busy, rarely still, and always involved in something that brought him joy. Growing up in Babbitt, he played just about every sport he could get his hands on, excelling in baseball, football, golf, and even enjoying a brief (and often retold) stint in cheerleading as an “Vermilion Community College Bleacher Creature.” In 1976, he pitched the Babbitt Knights to a Division A State Baseball Championship— an event that many Iron Range families may still celebrate with fireworks, parades, and if you’re from Sleepy Eye, curses muttered under their breath.

Bob’s faith was the steady foundation of his life. Baptized at Good Shepherd Church in Babbitt on May 26, 1963, he remained a devoted Lutheran throughout his life, frequently serving as a scripture reader and Elder at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Chaska, MN.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Bert and Leona, and his infant brother, Kurt.

He is survived by his wife Cathie; son Benjamin (Meghan) DeMaris; daughter Emma (Gabriel) Stevens; siblings Bruce, Darrell, and Renee; hundreds of cousins; grandchildren Sylvia and Oskar DeMaris; and his beloved dogs, Ginger and Sookie.

WheneverBobendedaphonecall or text, he usually signed off with: “Be good. Have fun. Bye for now.” “For now” brings comfort today. While his passing was sudden, his family holds tight to the faith that they will see him again. As he once wrote upon the loss of a dear friend: “Life is precious. Death is certain. God has promised to take care of us forever… just not here.”

Be good. Have fun. Bye for now, Bob.