Robert Paxton “Bob” Marner, 76, of Morgantown, passed away on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
He was born in East Chicago, Ind. on Sept. 11, 1945, a son the late John and Frances Coons Marner.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Chamberlain Marner, whom he married Feb. 11, 1967; two children, Dan and his wife Stacey Marner, of Morgantown, and Sara and husband Jeremy Connors, of Raleigh, N.C.; four grandsons, Paxton and Noah Marner and Aaron and Ryan Connors; and two brothers, James and wife Helen Marner, of Vero Beach, Fla., and Doug and wife Dara, of Cranberry Township, Pa.
Bob was a 1968 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, where he was a member of Chi Phi Fraternity. He received his master’s degree in public administration from National University in San Diego, where he served as an adjunct professor and worked until his retirement in 2011.
Bob was a craftsman and spent much of his life making, repairing and modifying things. As a young man, he built plastic models and cast toy soldiers out of lead. After a period of dabbling with motorcycles, he started making radio control planes. He preferred building them to flying them and many of the planes he built were flown by his friends and crashed by his son. He produced pens and fine bowls on his lathe and built wooden clocks and an heirloom wooden rocking horse for his grandsons. His signature “Marnercaster” electric guitars play wonderfully and he improved the trigger pull on any number of firearms when he tried his hand at gunsmithing. He never stopped tinkering and left several nearly-complete radio control boats and an N-scale model railroad for his heirs to finish. Whether they finish it, is yet to be seen. Bob also had a wonderful sense of humor.
A memorial service for Bob will be scheduled at a later date. Please consider making a contribution to your favorite charity in memory of Bob.
Smith Funeral & Cremation Care of Westover/Morgantown is providing care and guidance to his family.
Condolences:
www.smithfcc.com
