Mr. Robert Leon Way "Bob" passed "on to Glory" after a long battle with skin cancer on January
1, 2015 surrounded by family and friends at Covenant Hospice Hospital, Panama City, Florida.
Born in Sand Beach, MI on September 29, 1920 to the late Walter and Maude Way, he
graduated from Harbor Beach High in 1939 and completed drafting courses at the Industrial
Training Institute in Chicago, IL in 1949.
He served in the Army Air Corp and US Air Force and National Guard from 1940 till 1959 as an
airplane mechanical technician. He earned the Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal
WWII. He also served as a Lieutenant in the Army Corp of Engineers. While stationed at the air
field in Apalachicola, he was introduced to Irene M. Marlow by her cousin, Cleo. They were
married December 19, 1943 in Lynn Haven, Florida. After his discharge from the service in
1945, they moved to Harbor Beach, Michigan and also lived in Los Angeles, California, where
his brother Howard and wife Ann lived, before settling back in Panama City, Florida where they
were active members of Trinity Methodist Church. He was employed with the US Navy civil
service at the Navy Base in Panama City Beach as a Mechanical Draftsman from 1949 - 1964.
In 1964 he pursued a transfer to Pt. Hueneme Naval Base civil service and in January 1965
they moved to Ventura, California where he worked as a Configuration Accountant for the US
Navy from 1965 until his retirement in 1976. He received several awards and recognitions for
his ideas and suggestions that saved money or time for the Navy. Upon his retirement in 1976
Bob and Irene moved to Arroyo Grande, California where he opened Grover City Door and
Supply Company. He and Irene traveled the west coast "rock hounding" and seeing the sites
during his retirement. They were members of the First United Methodist Church in Ventura, Ca
and the United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande, in Arroyo Grande, Ca. He was also a
member of the Arroyo Grande Historical Society. While in the garage door business he invented
a tool to help installers tighten the tension spring safely for overhead door installation. He sold
the door business in 1983 and lived in Arroyo Grande until 2005. His wife of 61 years, Irene,
passed in 2004 and a year later he moved back to Panama City Beach, FL to live with his
daughter and son-in-law. He was very active in his church, Trinity Methodist Church in Millville.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Maude and William Way, adoptive parents Olive and
Will John, six brothers and sisters; Albert, Howard, Margarette, Caroline, Alice and Aleatha, son
James Howard Way, wife Irene Marlow Way, son-in-law, Richard Talmadge and grandson Jon
H. Palmer.
He is survived by his daughter Judith Ann Talmadge, Susanne Karr and her husband Ken,
granddaughter Noelle C. Way and great-grandson Patrick Finnegan, plus numerous nephews
and nieces. We would like to thank the wonderful nurses and staff at Emerald Coast Hospice
and Covenant Hospice and to his special friends, Portia Poole and Jill Strangle for the loving
care they gave him. Dr. Noble and his wonderful staff for giving the support and help when we
needed it, Dr. Nanfro of Lynn Haven and Dr. Edmond Ritter at Augusta Regents Hospital.
Thank you also to his loving family at Trinity United Methodist Church. Contributions can be made in Bob's name to the Trinity United Methodist Church Building Fund. Services will be Thursday, January 8th at 11 am in the Trinity United Methodist Church, 2322 E. 3rd Street Millville with interment for both Bob and Irene at Greenwood Cemetery afterwards.