Charles Robert "Bob" McCallister

March 1, 1927 - January 31, 2020

Charles Robert “Bob” McCallister peacefully passed away at home on Friday, January 31, 2020. A brief remembrance of Bob and opportunity for people to share their thoughts will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 8, 2020 at First Brethren Church, 245 South Marion Road, Huntington, Indiana. Visitation will follow from 1:30 – 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Nature Conservatory or other organizations that work to preserve farmland. Bob was born March 1, 1927 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Charles G. and Irene (Zimmerman) McCallister. He lived a full life devoted to his work, his family and his community. He was a 1945 graduate of Washington and Lee High School and a proud graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Agriculture; he also enjoyed watching Purdue sports. He loved auto racing from dirt track to the Indy 500, woodworking, and building model airplanes. He studied astronomy and was not opposed to endangering a few fingers to set off fireworks with his grandchildren. No groundhog or jimson weed was safe if it dared venture into his soybean fields. He worked as a soil conservationist, but this was more than a job title. Bob was passionate about saving farmland for future generations. He was an early adopter of no-till farming and took great pride in helping design and build many ponds in Huntington County. He worked tirelessly on his and Pat’s farm to create habitats for wildlife alongside their farmland. He married Pat Thornburg in 1953 and they spent the next 66 years together. Bob and Pat were the center of each other’s universe. Theirs was a love story deeper and more complex than could be created by the most skilled writer or movie director. Their three children are Bruce (Rosemary) McCallister, Bart (Rowena) McCallister, and Elizabeth Ochs. They were blessed with seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. His son-in-law, Steve Ochs, precedes him in death. Bob experienced significant health issues the last few years of his life. In spite of this, he did not get discouraged, never complained about his situation, maintained a wonderful sense of humor, and expressed gratitude for everything done for him. The family would like to thank all the health care providers who served him: Parkview Hospice, Heritage of Huntington, and especially, Deb, Jeannette, Hunter, and Desi who helped make it possible for him to be at home. Their care, compassion, and skilled assistance will never be forgotten. Words cannot express our gratitude sufficiently. Bob was a quiet and humble man, perhaps not known to many, but he achieved the greatest accomplishment one can aspire to in this life. He left the world a little better than he found it. The pain felt in his passing is proportionate to the joy he brought to those who knew him.