Robert "Bob" Henry Severin, III, age 92, of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, March 7, 2015 after a short illness. He was born December 6, 1922 in St. Louis, MO, the son of Robert Henry and Alberta Holdoway Severin.

Bob grew up in San Antonio, TX and graduated from Brackenridge High School in May 1940. After working for a year, he entered the University of Texas in pursuit of a Mechanical Engineering degree. His college education was put on hold by World War II. He attended Midshipmen's School at the Navy Academy in Annapolis, MD. After being discharged from the Navy in mid 1946, Bob returned to the University of Texas to complete his final semester in mechanical engineering. Before starting employment with Union Carbide in Texas City, Bob, his brother Alfred, and a good Navy buddy made a grand tour of the Western United States in his beloved 1939 LaSalle convertible. He fondly remembered this trip all his life and passed a love for the western mountains on to his family. He met and married his wife, Suzanne Geymont Cook, in Galveston, Texas in September 1955. He lived in Galveston, Dickinson, and eventually Houston, Texas before transferring to Oak Ridge, TN in 1972 with his wife and four daughters. He retired 30 years ago from Union Carbide at K-25 in Oak Ridge, TN. In his retirement, he enjoyed computer work, tracing family history, gardening, traveling, and above all, time spent with his family.

All that knew Bob will miss him and his kind spirit, positive outlook, and gracious heart. The Christian faith was exemplified through his quiet but strong daily walk. He was a grounded man and gave wise council; he was thoughtful in his words and actions. Never one to complain, he was resilient, and could hike a mountain in Greece while in his 80s or beat the odds by surviving a past illness. All admired his intellect; he was well read and an interesting conversationalist on an abundance of topics. He was a problem solver and was persistent when others would give up; the family could count on him to fix anything from a car to an entire air-conditioning system. Even in his 90's, he had a thorough understanding of technology and took the time to convert all the family photos, dating back to the 40s, from slides to digital form. He loved taking the family out on the lake and driving the ski boat on the weekends and traveling the world during the summers. The family will remember him as being devoted; he was eager to attend soccer games, dance recitals, and was always willing to help drive the grandchildren where they needed to be. Bob conducted himself with grace, humility, and dignity and left a lasting legacy.

Bob was active his entire life in the Presbyterian church and met some life long friends whom he kept up with all his life. For the past 43 years, he was a member and Elder of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge.

Bob was preceded in death by his dear wife, Suzanne, in May 2008 and by his brother Al Severin. He is survived by daughter Jean Shipp and her husband Rick and their children Lisa, Stephanie and spouse Daniel Pincheira, and Allie, and great-grandchildren Joey and Rosalie all of Oak Ridge; father of Joey, Jose Marin, of Quintay, Chile; daughter Gail Benefield and her husband Trey and their children Rory and Amy, and great-grandson Caleb all of Knoxville; granddaughter Brittany Benefield and spouse Bejal Kikani of Raleigh, NC, daughter Claire Luttrell and her husband Robert and their son Ryan all of Oak Ridge; and daughter Anne Ligon and her husband Rick and their children Carter and Olivia all of Dallas, TX. He is also survived by brother, John Severin and wife Joan and many nieces and nephews and their families, all of Texas.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 11, 4:30-6:30 at Christ Community Church in Oak Ridge. The funeral service will be on Thursday, March 12, at 2:00 pm, at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge followed by interment at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.

The family asks that any memorials in lieu of flowers be made in his memory to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3000 Clearview Ct, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.