Robert "Bob" Joseph Fuhrel

Robert “Bob” Joseph Fuhrel Lakeland- Robert “Bob” Joseph Fuhrel was born February 16, 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He passed away peacefully at 70 years of age on May 28, 2017 in Lakeland, Florida after a heart attack. He is preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert Joseph Fuhrel and Catherine “Cass” Mary Fuhrel (née Palmer), and his daughter Jeannine Nicole Davidson (née Ivon). Bob married his soul mate Mary Frances “Francie” Fuhrel (née Herring) on December 3, 1976. They celebrated 40 years of marriage with a trip to Cuba, a place they both loved. Bob is survived by his wife Francie, his children Nicholas Ivon, Sean Malcolm and wife Ivana, Andrea Fuhrel-Forbis and husband Michael, and Eileen Fuhrel, and his sisters Alice Fuhrel Lastrapes and Mary Fuhrel Martin and husband Robert. Bob is also survived by seven grandchildren (Alan “Joshua” Davidson, Joanna Davidson Stoddard, Sophia Ivon, Juliana Malcolm, Aidan Malcolm, Caitlin Forbis, and Sean Forbis), three great-grandchildren, two nieces and four nephews. In addition, he leaves behind many close friends across the world. Bob was his senior class president and graduated from Cocoa High School in Rockledge, Florida in 1965. He became a dedicated Gators fan and graduated with bachelor’s and master's degrees in English at the University of Florida. He taught English literature and grammar in Florida, American Samoa, Hawai'i, and Las Vegas, including courses on Irish literature, Bob Dylan, and the history of Rock and Roll. Most recently, he was Professor Emeritus in the Department of English at the College of Southern Nevada. He loved listening to his vast music collection, playing horseshoes, and was a passionate and gifted student of languages and cultures. Other interests included puns and satire, politics, baseball, tennis, teaching English as a second language and editing poetry and screenplays. Bob always had time for his friends and family and he had so many wonderful stories to tell. In lieu of flowers, the family would most love your stories about Bob (email to fuhrelfamily@gmail.com). If you would like, Bob would have loved donations to one of his favorite charities (ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, Doctors without Borders, Heifer International, Peace River Center (https://peacerivercenter.org), Food for the Poor, Catholic Charities, or your local PBS or NPR stations. A Mass will be said for Bob at Resurrection Catholic Church on Tuesday, June 20 at 7:30 a.m. A Celebration of Life is planned for July 22, 2017 in Lakeland, Florida. Please contact his family at fuhrelfamily@gmail.com to be notified of more information on the Celebration.