Robert Granville Ringling Sr.

Robert Granville Ringling, Sr. was born outside of Baltimore, Maryland on February 25, 1925. He had a hard childhood and was raised by his mother's parents. When WWII broke out, Bob was 17. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as soon as he was able. Originally, Bob's last name was RingLAND and the military misspelled it when he enlisted - since he was looking for a new life, he didn't correct it. He fought the Japanese in the Battle of Midway. After the war, he came to Ohio and met his first wife, Mary, and they had 5 kids together - Robert Ringling, Jr., Patricia (Ruiz), Joseph, Lucy (Scott) and Leonard. After they divorced he married Celia (Mary). They had 4 kids together - Carol (Sue Ziemann), Charles, William and Holly. Later in life, he briefly found companionship with wife Genevieve, before she needed to spend her final years in a senior home. Through 1951 - 2004, he drove a cab. For many of those years, Bob owned his own cab company in Toledo called R.G.R. Cab. He boasted that he once had Joe Louis in his cab and drove him to Detroit - Joe gave him a $100 tip. He was a baseball enthusiast who loved the Baltimore Orioles. Bob said that when he was a kid he sat on Babe Ruth's lap and always said that Ted Williams was the greatest player of all time. He left this world on July 9, 2012 at 87 years old. He leaves a legacy of 3 wives (all have passed), 8 children (Robert Ringling, Jr. has passed), 25 grandchildren (Patricia's son Mark Anthony Ritson, William's daughter Elisabeth, as well as Lucy's son Robert C. Kemp have passed), 51 great-grandchildren (Patricia's granddaughter Kristi Hymore has passed) and 5 great-great-grandchildren. Grave side services will be held (today) Saturday July 21, 2012 at 12:00 Noon in Ottawa Hills Memorial Park Cemetery. Please view and sign Mr. Ringling's condolence page at berstickerscottfuneralhome.com

Service Information

Saturday, July 21st, 2012 12:00pm, Ottawa Hills Memorial Park Cemetery

Interment Details

Ottawa Hills Memorial Park Cemetery