Thomas J. Bobish

Thomas Joseph Bobish, 93 of Gaylord, passed away on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Born and raised in L’Anse, Michigan, on April 26, 1931, he is the son of Matt and Mary (Mihelich) Bobish.

He worked on a Great Lakes Freighter in 1949 until he joined the United States Army and was in the Korean War. He went to the Detroit Business Institute after his service, where he met his wife, of 68 years, Barbara Zwar.

In 1957, he joined the Michigan State Police (MSP) and served at the Flat Rock, St. Ignace, Jackson, Warren, Benton Harbor and Cheboygan Posts until he retired in 1987. Tom and Barb also ran the Riverbend Resort in Cheboygan until 2002. They then moved to Hemlock and later to Gaylord in 2013.

Tom enjoyed fishing, home improvement projects, the Detroit Tigers, and spending time with his family. The family thought he could fix almost anything and that “it wasn’t really broke unless Dad couldn’t fix it.”

He is survived by his wife, Barbara; 3 daughters, Kathleen (Gregory) Hamlin of Berryville, VA, Kristine Bobish (Ken Foot) of Gaylord and Nancy (Dan) McAuliffe of Kewadin; his brother, Carl (Helen) Bobish; his 9 grandchildren, Nicholas Hamlin, Amanda Lewis, Alexandra Shifflett, Thomas and Monica Hamlin, Katherine James, Matthew and Timothy McAuliffe, Karl Foot; and his 9 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Matt and Mary Bobish, sister, Margaret Crimo; and two grandchildren, Barbara, and Dayton Foot.

A private burial will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery in Cheboygan. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michigan State Troopers Association Fund for Fallen Troopers: www.mspta.net or to the Otsego County Food Pantry: www.otsegocountyfoodpantry.org 

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