Robert "Bob" Gray Betzer

Robert Gray Betzer passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026 with two of his closest friends who had made the last three years of his life especially meaningful. Bob, the second child of Robert Sterling Betzer & Marjorie Louise Gray Betzer, was born on May 22,1944 in Elkhorn, Wisconsin and raised in Delavan, where he spent his life. He graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 1962 and from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1966. After receiving his mortuary science degree in Milwaukee, Bob joined his father at Betzer Funeral Home as the third generation funeral director in the family business. In this role he helped families grapple with their grief and develop memorial celebrations. In the 1990s, he successfully lobbied for funeral funding laws that offer consumers more financing options. Bob sold his funeral home in 2020 and retired from the funeral business in 2023.

Bob was a “larger than Life Character”. Indeed, he was and many generations will benefit from the generosity of someone who was immensely helpful to others.

Early in life he and his brother took sailing lessons at the Delavan Lake Yacht Cub and raced their 16’ Cub Boat, SEA HAWK. Later Bob enjoyed racing his E-scow and cruising around Delavan Lake in his wooden Chris Craft giving tours to friends and family.

Bob loved and pampered his dogs: Tyra, Timmer l, Timmer ll and Piper. They took naps with him and slept next to him in bed. He loved birds, especially the purple martins who returned annually to his lake front birdhouse, and Baltimore orioles who feasted on grape jelly on his porch railing.

Throughout his life Bob helped support people in need, especially those impacted by alcohol. He capably led meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Bob helped families in financial need. He routinely gave them cash gifts to help them through rough patches and taught them to set up savings accounts. He loved baking rhubarb pies and delivering them to friends. Bob’s many quiet acts of help and kindness were made with no expectation for recognition.

Following in his mother’s footsteps, Bob had an intense interest in Delavan’s Aram Library and for 12 years was a member of their Board of Trustees. For 3 years he was chair of the board and was pivotal to designing and raising money to build a new ARAM Library that is scheduled to open in January of 2027. One of his proudest moments was the groundbreaking for the project, where despite pouring rain, a standing room only crowd of all ages gathered to celebrate the many people who worked together to launch Delavan’s new library

Bob had an expansive spirit of adventure and he traveled extensively in the United States and a host of foreign countries -- by train whenever possible – Russia, Europe, and Africa. He was fearless – at age 74 he made a tethered jump of over 400 feet into the gorge of the Zambesi River. At the time of the jump he was the oldest person ever to attempt this.

He participated on oceanographic research cruises with his brother Peter. The first in 1969 was aboard the R/V TRIDENT in the Caribbean Sea from Cartagena, Colombia, to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The second in 1978 aboard NOAA’s RESEARCHER crossed the North Atlantic Ocean from Dakar, Senegal to Baltimore, Maryland. Probably the only oceanographic research vessels with their own funeral director on board.

Bob was a dedicated Democrat and he worked diligently for candidates with “greater good” priorities. He frequently was the Democratic observer for elections.

Medical challenges plagued Bob from early in his life – Polio when he was just 4 – and continued unrelenting until he died. As a teenager when seriously ill in a Chicago hospital he met Elizabeth Kubler Ross and learned from her trail breaking work on Death and Dying. He used this knowledge throughout his career. Even though Bob was a “living/walking medical textbook” he was never bitter. He focused on his active life filled with his dogs, his friends and his family.

He was predeceased by his mother and father and is survived by his brother Peter (Susan Beers Betzer), sister Constance Roop (Peter Roop), nephew Sterling Roop, nieces Sarah Betzer, Katherine Betzer, and Heidi Roop; and great -nieces Madeleine Crane Betzer and Abbie (Abigail Roop), and his longtime friends and caregivers William Hines and Tristan Greer.

One of our relatives characterized Bob as a “larger than Life Character”. Indeed, he was and many generations will benefit from the generosity of someone who was immensely helpful to others.

He was a former member of Lion’s Club and the Wisconsin Funeral Directors Association. He signed services for deaf members of St. Andrews Catholic Church. He accurately restored an historic clock from the 1893 Chicago World’s fair. This clock graced his stately lake front home nicknamed Delavan Lake’s “Clock House”.

Donations to the Robert Gray Betzer Memorial Endowment that benefit Delavan’s Aram Public Library can be made to the Madison Community Foundation, 111 N Fairchild St., Suite 260, Madison, WI 53703 – www.madisongives.org/robertgraybetzer

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held September 26th at Lake Lawn Lodge 2400 E. Geneva Street Delavan, WI. Details as to gathering times will be updated at a later time. Bob’s arrangements are under the direction of Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Home and Crematory of Elkhorn, WI.