Robert J. Bavry

Robert John Bavry passed away on October 27, 2019 at the age of 86 due to complications from a fall in his apartment. He was born August 20, 1933 in Evanston, Ill., son of Lewis William and Margaret (Callahan) Bavry. He and the family moved to Green Bay in the middle-to-late 1940's. He attended East High School and graduated in the early 1950's. Bob was president of his senior class and was active in Green Bay Community Theater. He joined the Air Force around the end of combat in the Korean War, in 1953, and served four years, with over one year served in Japan. He also served in the Air Force reserve. He was a radio technician and radio technician instructor. He won National Defense Service and Good Conduct medals. After his active duty military service he attended St. Norbert's College using the GI bill and received a bachelor's degree in French in 1963. He also attended the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and earned a bachelor's degree in Zoology in 1973.

Bob loved languages and literature, and studied them throughout his life. Besides French, he studied German and Spanish. He also loved to study human health and read extensively about nutrition and health, watched the health related programming on public television avidly, and was a big fan of People's Pharmacy on public radio. Bob never married. He worked at a wide variety of jobs as part of his extensive employment by temporary job companies, most notably, Manpower.

He is survived by a sister, Patricia Polston, Warrenton, MO and a brother James in Green Bay, plus many nephews and nieces. Besides his parents, a sister, Carol Sinnott, and three brothers, Charles, Richard and John preceded him in passing away. Bob was a wonderful son/brother and helped his family economically often.

He helped care for his parents in their later years and for other family members. He was passionate about social justice issues. It seems you could never meet a gentler and kinder person than Bob was. He was capable of doing some remarkable things physically. For example, once he
bicycled from Milwaukee to Green Bay and back over a college break.

Thank you to Eric, Theresa, David, Mike and others at Veteran's Manor in Green Bay who helped give Bob a home, not just a place to live, in his old age, and also helped him cope with a progressively worsening disability as a consequence of a back injury suffered falling on Winter ice.