Robert Belville passed away

[Ned Gravel]

Flew with Bob on more than one Caravan.  He will be missed. Prayers for Nancy and the family from Ute and I.  

[Seymour]

Very sad news.   My thoughts are with his family today.   He'll be missed. 

[sbmetz]

Bob's daughter Sharon here. My son is the grandson who flew with him to KOSH and the rest of the country in July-August 2019. Thank you for all your kind words -- the "Mooney Family" sure is special! 
The obituary is posted. We haven't planned the memorial service he deserves due to the covid situation, but wanted to share the obit with you. Hard to condense a life lived to the full.
http://www.sossomanfh.com/obituary/9346-robert-cairnes-bob-belville

Edited July 4, 2020 by sbmetz

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard, Sharon!

We watched your son and father cross the country.  (Magic of the internet)

Every day was a new adventure.

Sharing aviation... 

Best regards,

-a-

[fantom]

A humble, honest and decent man. They are becoming a rare breed. Bob was a good person, who will be missed by many. RIP.

[sbmetz]

I may be asking for help translating screen names into names Mom will recognize!

[DonMuncy]

So sorry for your loss Sharon. Bob was a fine person. He will be sorely missed.

[MooneyMitch]

I’m very sorry for your loss Sharon.  I’m sure you were quite proud to have Bob as your father.

[Danb]

Sharon you dad was one heck of a great man, I flew him to Tampa and sun in fun to check on his plane in the paint shop in a Tampa. Hung out with him at his hanger checking out his stuff , at various Summits and Oshkosh, but more importantly talking about flying, life faith and so on. Your so lucky to have great parents in Bob and Nancy. My memories of my time with Bob will be cherished. I hope I’ll be lucky enough to meet up with on the greater side. 

[kris_adams]

Loved watching Bob keep everyone in line and following his updates. Only had the chance to meet him at MS 2018 (pretty sure that was the year). What a classy guy who has made the world better for so many people. Didn’t know him well but definitely missing him here. Rip and tailwinds our friend. 
 

Sorry fo your loss Sharon, daughters, family, and close friends.  

Edited July 5, 2020 by Kris_Adams

[MATTS875]

Very sad to hear. Our sincere condolences to you and your family 

[Oldguy]

So sorry to hear about this. Bob was the quintessential pilot we aspire to be. RIP Bob.

[Yooper Rocketman]

I met Bob and spoke with him at Oshkosh several years (most times at the Mooney Gathering).  The year he was going with his grandson on that long trip I talked with him for a while and shared a story about MY grandfather.  He called his grandson over and asked me to share it with him.  The Readers Digest version, I explained how my time with my grandfathers doing special events were something I still cherished 30-50 years later (respective passing of my two grandfathers).  And even though they had now passed, those memories were with me for life!  Makes me wonder if Bob knew something even back then?

He is a huge loss to our community and, based on his eulogy, it appears many other communities as well.  It's most clear what a great man he was to his family.  So sad to see his passing!!

Tom

[sbmetz]

2 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Oh we ALL have that problem, every summit, Oshkosh etc.  Im Andrew by the way, that damn Brit, but your Mother will, I am sure, recognise that.    

Yes, indeed, I know about the far-flying Brit! Then there are also the Caravan nicknames as an additional layer of "anonymity"...

[sbmetz]

Since we will not be having a memorial service in the short-term, I have set up a form to collect stories and anecdotes for the family. Since Bob/Dad knew so many people in so many arenas, no one person knows all the good stories. We may use some material in an online memorial compilation or incorporate them in an in-person celebration of life in a future safer month. 

https://forms.gle/RwCFczba28jFGKWcA

If you would like to share pictures, or if you have trouble with the form, send email to sharon.metzger+bob@gmail.com

We've been so warmed by the snippets here (feel free to repeat via form or email). Thank you all.

Sharon

[EchoMax]

Hi Sharon!

Tom Miller here, aka EchoMax.  I regret that I did not have the pleasure of meeting your dad, but obviously he was a wonderful person. I have had a couple of charming phone conversations with your equally wonderful mother Nancy.  I am blessed with the honor of carrying on the tradition of "The Gypsy Rose".  I promise to take good care of her. Her new base will be at KBLF, only 40 minutes from KMRN.  You, your mom, or any of your family would be welcome to take a ride anytime, schedule permitting.  We will continue service with Lynn at KMRN.

Bob's in a better place.  God bless him!

Tom-

[Sabremech]

I’m saddened to hear of Bob’s passing. I had the pleasure of working with Bob a couple of times over the years with a nose tire change at Oshkosh and the cowling modification. Great guy and I’ll miss him. 
David

[Alan Fox]

4 hours ago, Hyett6420 said:

Oh we ALL have that problem, every summit, Oshkosh etc.  Im Andrew by the way, that damn Brit, but your Mother will, I am sure, recognise that.    

Always humble Andrew ...

[kortopates]

So saddened to hear of Bob's passing. I never got to meet Bob, but we corresponded a lot over the years, both through MooneySpace and as well as a Savvy client where it was a honor to work with Bob. He was a total gentlemen and a very warm soul and will be deeply missed by all of us. 

Paul 

[Jeff_S]

I first met Bob when we were co-Chairs of the Mooney Ambassador booth for the AOPA Fly-In at St. Simon's Island.  We worked together via email to help prepare, and by the time we officially shook hands it was as though we were old friends.  I always admired his welcoming attitude and ability to rejoin people as though they were part of his inner circle. I will miss his presence, but his spirit lives on in all those who pursue and share the passion for flight...especially in a Mooney!

[M20F-1968]

I am sorry to hear of Bob's passing, but am happy that he was able to enjoy his flying until his last months.  I met Bob initially on Mooneyspace and had the opportunity to have meals and conversations with him at the Mooney Summit and at Oshkosh.  He and his wife Nancy were always welcoming and gracious.  I enjoyed his wife's "gift of aviation" to Bob and Bob's dedication to aviation.  They impressed me as a wonderful couple.  Bob shared that fact that he was an MIT graduate and I understood the technical side of him leading to his care and interest in restoring his plane.  We both went through that process so we had common interests.  I will miss not having the ability to continue those conversations with him.  

John Breda

[Mooney in Oz]

I have been away with work for the last couple of weeks and just catching up with the latest posts when I came across this very sad news.  I  have never met Bob, but enjoyed reading his insightful posts and his great contribution to the forum and could tell he was a decent human being. I had no idea of his illness and therefore quite shocked to read of his passing.

Sharon, I am so sorry for you and your family's loss.

[sbmetz]

On 7/9/2020 at 8:55 AM, M20F-1968 said:

Bob shared that fact that he was an MIT graduate and I understood the technical side of him leading to his care and interest in restoring his plane. 

Minor correction -- I have a humanities degree from MIT (technical writing/math) -- Dad/Bob went to what he called a "real" engineering school (at least when I was being particularly mechanically challenged) a short flight away -- Worcester Polytech. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by sbmetz

[Hank]

9 minutes ago, sbmetz said:

Minor correction -- I have a humanities degree from MIT (technical writing/math) -- Dad/Bob went to what he called a "real" engineering school (at least when I was being particularly mechanically challenged) a short flight away -- Worcester Polytech. 

Is that why Sheldon on Big Bang Theory always looks down on Howard's MIT degree in Mech Eng? 

I'm also an ME from Auburn, with MSE from Marshall. I consider AU to be much more of a Real Engineering School than the other one . . . . Plus the football team is much better!

Your dad was a great man, and we all miss him with you.  

Edited July 17, 2020 by Hank

[GDGR]

8 hours ago, Hank said:

Is that why Sheldon on Big Bang Theory always looks down on Howard's MIT degree in Mech Eng? 

I'm also an ME from Auburn, with MSE from Marshall. I consider AU to be much more of a Real Engineering School than the other one . . . . Plus the football team is much better!

Your dad was a great man, and we all miss him with you.  

Howard only had a Masters’ degree from MIT. The rest were PhD’s. 
My sister and brother in law are both PhD grads from Caltech in the mid 90’s. Her being Canadian, and the brother in law a Princeton undergrad, it was fate that they met at grad school. 
My sister is very outgoing and more “Street smart”. My brother in law is the book worm, questioning and by the book. 
to this day, I still swear that Sheldon and Leonard were modelled after my Sis and Bro in Law.