Robert William Yeates

Dateline: Elsah Robert William “Bob” Yeates from Elsah, IL, passed away peacefully at home at age 82 on February 16, 2012. Born July 8, 1929 in Kankakee, IL, he was the son of Albert and Jeannie (Potter) Yeates. An older brother, Richard Potter Yeates preceded him in death. A younger brother, Thomas Eager lives in Roseville, CA. Bob graduated from high school in Wichita, KS. He attended Kansas State University and Washington University in St. Louis prior to being drafted in the U.S. Army during the end of the Korean conflict. Upon his discharge from service, Bob attended Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL while working in the trust office in a local bank. He finally received his BS degree in Education from SIUE and received a Masters degree in Education from Maryville University. Bob was married to Bronna Lee Crabtree on June 12, 1960. After a year of marriage he accepted a position as varsity soccer coach and counselor at The Principia School in St. Louis, MO. Bob spent many years as manager of several Chambers of Commerce around the country, starting in Joplin, MO and was head of the chamber in Alton for several years. He was involved with the bike trail along The Great River Road. Following the years in Alton, Bob accepted the position of director of the National Youth Hostel organization located in the Washington DC area where he travelled the world establishing youth hostels. Bob and Bronna moved to Elsah in 2010 following his retirement from teaching at The Principia. His happiest years were spent working with young people. He often said all he wanted to do was “Help good kids with poor grades get better.” One of the mottos he lived by was “Don’t teach a man to be the way he is, but teach him what he could be and should be.” He was blessed with many lifelong friendships of students and educators from around the world. During his faculty tenure at Principia, he developed a successful program of community Service and fostered volunteerism for the school. He took many groups of students to several Indian Reservations in the southwest working with Native Americans to enrich their educational experience. His weekends were spent taking groups of students to help feed the homeless in several St. Louis shelters. Bob touched the lives of many people with his generosity. Bob loved BBQ. He was a registered BBQ judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society, and spent many summers travelling around the area, judging BBQ contests. He loved serving his own BBQ meals for friends and family and often took his cooker to homeless centers and cooked for several hundred people. Bob is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Robert and Melanie of Bloomington, MN; his daughter and son-in-law, Denise and Evan of St. Charles, MO; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and many close friends. Bob dearly loved his family and was very proud of each of them. He was thrilled when he could talk to them. At Bob’s request there is no service except for immediate family. You may send condolences to P.O. Box 35, Elsah, IL 62028. Gent Funeral Home in Alton is in charge of arrangements. PDF Printable Version

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Robert William Yeates

July 8, 1929 - February 16, 2012