Robert Becker, 82, of Watervliet, died Nov. 28, 2023, at Pine Ridge Rehabilitation Center in Stevensville.

Bob was born in Oak Park, Ill., to Wilbur and LaVergne (Sporleder) and raised in Berwyn and Brookfield. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1959 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1963. He was a member of the 327th Military Police Battalion, serving for six years and gaining the rank of drill instructor and platoon sergeant. In 1968, he was honored as his battalion's soldier of the year by the Chicago Tribune.

He married Lenore Vytiska in 1966, and they moved with their family to Stevensville in 1982. He worked for many years for Reynolds Metals and then ran his own business, Alfred Metals, in Benton Harbor.

Bob was very active in his community, coaching Little League and church basketball teams and enthusiastically participating as a member of the Rotary Club of Paw Paw Lake, where he was known as "Mr. Rotary." He was honored with the club's Hero Award in 2021. He was also a longtime member of the Paw Paw Lake Yacht Club, serving as commodore in 2001. Over the years, he was an active member of the planning commissions of Benton Township, Watervliet Township and the City of Watervliet, the Watervliet Downtown Development Authority and the Paw Paw Lake Association.

Bob loved his family, history, golf and the Chicago Cubs. He was a font of trivia, a voracious reader and a generous dispenser of advice. He hoped one day to serve as sports agent for his talented grandson Reese.

Bob is survived by his wife, Lenny; his three children: Mike Becker, Kathy (Joey) Montgomery and Jenny (Anton) Llakmani; five grandchildren: Kavita Becker, Nabil (Katie) Becker, Jalal Becker, Summer Holiday and Reese Holiday; three great-grandchildren; one sister, Sue (Carl) Webster; and four nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and by one sister, Pat Bussan.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's name to the Rotary Foundation (rotary.org/donate) or to the Paw Paw Lake Sailing Foundation (P.O. Box 66, Watervliet MI 49098). Those wishing to share a memory online may do so by selecting the link on this page. A celebration of life is being planned for the spring.