Robert R. Scaife Jr.

Robert "Bob" Scaife, a Green Bay dentist, and an exceptional gentleman, died on December 8 at the age of 80; in the company of his immediate family. The cause of his death was progressive dementia, over the past few years.
Bob was raised in Glen Ellen, Illinois. He was the oldest of four boys and grew up adventurous in the suburbs of Chicago. Since childhood his family summered at a cabin in Northern Wisconsin, on Sea Lion Lake. That cabin and the experiences on the lake became a central narrative for our family. Since he was a young boy Bob also been an outdoorsman, and Green Bay would eventually serve as his home; a wonderful setting for a boy who was a curious naturalist and loved to hunt and fish.
Bob went to college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He went on to dental school at the University of Illinois, where he met his wife Glenna Middleton, from Clermont, Florida. They had a wonderful marriage of 57 years with three children. In the Vietnam era, Bob joined the Army as a dentist and a Major and served for 6 years in Seattle, WA, Wiesentheid, Germany, and Grand Forks, ND. Bob kept life-long friends from childhood in Glen Ellen, the DePauw Fijis, dental school, and army years in Germany. Through those years, his adventures began. They skied in Austria. They hiked through the Bavarian forests. They snorkeled the coasts of Yugoslavia. They went on safari in Africa.
After completing his military service Bob sought out a dental career between Chicago and his Sea Lion Lake cabin, and was fortunate to find a newly opening practice in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He spent his entire professional career at Dental Arts Associates. Bob loved dentistry, and he felt privileged to have a rewarding career where he was especially grateful for the remarkable people whom he worked with and the long relationships that he developed with his patients.
Bob always cherished the true friendships he had. In Green Bay, those friendships were built on golf outings, fishing trips, and hunting adventures. An annual ritual for him was the northern Wisconsin deer hunting camp, and when his close friend and lead of that camp had an early departure, Bob was truly saddened. Bob loved to hunt pheasant in South Dakota with dear friends and eventually his grand children. Bob loved to hunt turkeys with friends and in-law's on their farm in Kendall, Wisconsin. He also looked forward to tarpon fishing in Florida, and guided hunting trips in the west for big game.
Above all, Bob was a kind and patient gentleman. He was impeccably honest and always interested in the wellness of others. Bob was a thoughtful observer of nature. He was never a man who demanded to be the center of attention. He was a good husband who deeply loved his wife. They have been fortunate to travel the world together. They enjoyed a home on the outskirts of Green Bay, in Oneida, where he could feed the deer and birds. A home where he could walk around his pond and listen to the lessons of the Wisconsin seasons. Bob was an amazing father. He was a patient thoughtful teacher of skills and lessons that his children still use. He provided wonderful opportunities to his children in the outdoors and at the cabin, teaching them to ski, and hours of work at the pond to help them keep a swimming pool, ice rink, and horse corral. His home was also blessed by remarkable neighbors across the street, who lived next to Bob and Glenna for four decades. As Bob's health declined they showed exceptional generosity in supporting him. They mowed Bob's lawn and shoveled the snow from his driveway, but always made Bob feel as though he was doing some of the work even as his faculties declined. As he transitioned into assisted living they visited him frequently and helped Glenna immensely at all the challenging and critical stress points.
Bob's legacy is his family. He has eight grandchildren and he was an extraordinary Grandpa. He was patient and interested in their lives. He was a natural and gentle teacher. He was a cheerleader of their successes and a stoic observer of their struggles. Bob's joy was teaching his grandchildren how to hunt, "got a knife in your pocket", hunting frogs and tractor rides around the pond, falling asleep with them on his chest, and hours of wildlife and adventures at the cabin.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents and two of his brothers. He is survived by his brother Tom, his wife and his three children: Eric Scaife (Caroline Milne), grandchildren Jack, Max, and Lily; Courtney Scaife (Jeff Levy), step-grandchildren Hank and Mimi; and Susannah Thompson (Chris Thompson), grandchildren Cassidy, Kindell, and Scout. He was a very good man and his family and friends benefitted from his noble example. The family is grateful to all his friends and patients who have reached out with such kind words. The family will have a private celebration of life for Bob at their cabin this summer.