Birth date: Jul 25, 1943 Death date: Nov 17, 2020
Robert M. Hoogerhyde, family and friends called him Mike, age 77, of Columbus Twp., passed away November 17, 2020. He was born July 25, 1943 in Detroit to the late Robert A. and Anne E. Hoogerhyde. Mike proudly served his country Read Obituary
I was Mike's hometown girlfriend when he joined the Marines. More than that, I loved his family. I spent a lot of time at Bois Blanc Island with his Mom, Dad and brothers and treasure the memories. Sorry we lost contact over the years. Rest in peace, Mike.
Trying to pick one story to tell that would capture the essence of what an extraordinary man my grandfather was is a task not easily accomplished. Growing up, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him on the weekends. As a young child, I remember one time after watching a movie with him, I was afraid to go to sleep in the room by myself. The way he handled the situation will stick with me forever. Instead of getting irritated with me, he was patient and laid in the bed with me until I fell asleep. This is merely one of a myriad of different stories that I could tell. As I grew older and entered my teenage years, my grandfather became my friend and mentor, and served in that role for me up until his passing. I recall one incident in 2004 when I was having car troubles, he told me to drive his truck back home and stated that he would follow behind me. What I did not tell him was that the car's heat did not work so he could not defrost the windshield, the car had no power-steering, and my brakes were shot. And if that is not bad enough, we were driving on the icy roads of Michigan in January! Thinking back to the call I received from him from I-94 screaming, "HOW DO I STOP THIS THING", followed by him getting to my uncle's house, jumping out of the car, and kissing the ground; my side hurts from uncontrollable laughter. We laughed together, we cried together, and shortly before his passing I was honored to able to add to the list; we prayed together. My grandfather's passing has left a hole in the hearts of so many people, friends and family alike. I thank God everyday for the time that I was blessed to have with him, and look forward to the time we get to spend together in heaven. Rest easy Grandpa; Kathy, the kids, and I love you very much, and will see you soon.
