Bobby Gene McCormick, 91, of Springfield passed away on Saturday, February 15, 2025. Bob was born in Rushville, Illinois on December 29,1933, the son of Ralph and Pauline (Boehm) McCormick. He met the love of his life at a dance on the campus of Western University. Upon meeting her he knew he was going to ask for her hand. He married Phyllis Balzer on June 9, 1957 and they shared 67 beautiful years together.

Bob served in the Army Corp of Engineers at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and was a member of the Fifth Army. Bob was an educator for over 30 years teaching at Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville, IL and various universities in Utah, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Bob was an avid reader and shared his knowledge with family and friends. He believed that knowledge empowered an individual and he inspired and challenged everyone to uncover, seek, discover, and learn about our wonderful world and especially the wonders of nature.

Bob enjoyed people and their stories and upon meeting someone new, would ask them their story; he was someone who cared about others and was a friend within an instant of meeting. He loved his many coffee groups over the years (The Long Bay Joggers, Westminster Men's Group), computers and technology, woodworking, boating and fishing, water and snow sports, football, and bird watching from his back deck. A storyteller like no other, Bob would retell, at the bequest of others, his many tales wrought with excitement and adventure. Bob was a member of the Rushville Masonic Lodge for over 65 years and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents; brother and wife, Ralph and Imogene; sisters and husbands, Margaret and Maurice, Lucille and Carl; and son, Robert Sean McCormick. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; and daughter, Kim (Mark) Stegeman of Orcutt, CA; granddaughters, Ashley Stegeman of Capitola, CA and Kristin (Alec) James of Santa Maria, CA; grandson, Jack Stegeman of Menlo Park, CA, as well as nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A private family military burial will take place at a later date at Camp Butler.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital please copy and paste the link below to access the Bob McCormick Memorial Page. https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=8720455&fr_id=154020&pg=personal©_link_share