Bob Blazier, District 47 & Crystal Lake Chamber Leader, Dies At Age 98

The below obituary for Robert Blazier originally appeared on the Davenport Family Funeral Home website and was republished on Patch.com with permission from Blazier's family.

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Robert P. Blazier, longtime resident of Crystal Lake, passed away peacefully to be united with the love of his life , Rosemary, on Thursday, January 9,2025 at the age of 98.
He was born August 31, 1926 in Kewanee, Il, the son of the late Charles and Mary (Hopkins) Blazier.

On June 11, 1949 Bob was united in marriage to Rosemary Riva. They moved to Crystal Lake in 1962 and together became integral members of the community.

Bob was known for his boundless dedication and genuine care for others, he touched many lives through his leadership, mentorship, and service. His extraordinary contributions have left a lasting impression on our community for years to come.

Until his retirement in 1985, Bob served as superintendent of Crystal Lake School District 47, where he inspired a generation of students and educators with his commitment to quality education. In addition to his dedication to education, Bob served as vice president of marketing and education for Northwestern Hospital (formerly NIMC) in McHenry. He served for a long time as Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce President and finished his career as communications officer at Home State Bank.

Bob helped found the Centegra foundation, The Raue Center foundation, and the McHenry County College foundation. To honor his passion for creativity, the Bob Blazier run for the arts was established and well attended for many years, showing his dedication to artistic endeavors with the Raue Center for the Arts.

He was honored to have the District 47 and the Crystal Lake Chamber of commerce buildings named after him for all is years of service.

Bob was passionate about a lot of things, but he was most passionate about his family where many trips were made to Door County, WI. As a long-time member of the Crystal Lake Country Club, he loved playing golf and going out for dinner with the family and enjoyed the various brunches at the club. His favorite hang-out for fine dining was Da Baffone in Crystal Lake, since Mom was Italian. He worked out and ran daily at HealthBridge Fitness Center well into his late 80’s. He will be remembered for his quick wit, his warm smile and his deep love for Crystal Lake, the community he called home.

Bob will be dearly missed by many, but mostly his family son, John (Amy)Blazier; granddaughters, Melissa Blazier and Natalie (Michael) Frericks; and great grandchildren Kash and Leni Frericks.

Visitation will be held Friday, January 24, 2025 from 3-7 p.m. at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (Rt. 176) Crystal Lake. The funeral Mass will be held the following day, Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 451 W Terra Cotta Ave, Crystal Lake. Interment will be held privately.

A celebration of life reception will be held following the funeral Mass from 3 to 7 p.m. at The Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake.

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed in Bob’s memory to the Raue Center for the Arts.