Bob attended grade school, junior high school and high school in Glenn Ellyn, Illinois. He began his banking career with Harris Trust & Savings Bank in Chicago as a foot messenger and audit clerk in 1949. He joined American Trust Company in San Francisco in 1950. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1951, completed Signal Corps Officer Candidate School in 1952, and served with the Seventh Army 97th Signal Battalion in Germany. Following discharge from the army, Bob continued his banking career with several banks, retiring in 1988 as Executive Vice President & Cashier of Westamerica Bank in San Rafael, California.

Bob and his wife, Marilynn, moved to St. George, Utah in the fall of 1988, where he was employed first by the St. George Surgical Center and then by Kemp, Burdick, Hinton & Hall until spring of 1993. His wife Marilynn suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and was admitted to a residence home in 1992 and then the St. George Care & Rehabilitation Center in 1993. She passed away in 2001.

Bob was active in many community affairs: co-chairman of the Washington County Alzheimer's Family Support Group; secretary/treasurer of the Washington County Chapter American Red Cross; board member of the Washington County Chapter American Cancer Society; board member of Utah Citizens Against Para-mutual Gambling; chairman of Southwest Symphony; member of St. George Encampment Mall Committee; interim director of St. George Area Chamber of Commerce; commissioner of City of St. George Planning Commission; co-founder and secretary/treasurer of the Dixie Rotary Bowl Association; executive director of Dixie Rotary Bowl; secretary/treasurer of Rotary International District 5420 (Utah); president of Rotary Club of St. George; organizer and secretary/treasurer of Rotary Club of Dixie Sunrise; organizer of Rotary clubs of Hurricane Valley and Virgin Valley (Mesquite); chairman of Foundation of Dixie Regional Medical Center; chairman of Governing Board of Dixie Regional Medical Center.