James Robert “Bob” Shultz

After a long illness, James Robert "Bob" Shultz of Westerville, Ohio, passed away on March 26, 2025.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Dean and Ettarose (Charlton) Shultz, brother Lee and sister Nancy Lou. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Elissa Tomba; his daughter Jessica (Pete) Chouteau and son Andrew (Mandy Tudor) Shultz; grandchildren Ben and Maddy Chouteau; sisters Sharen (Bob) Bowers, Karen (Kevin) Blackburn, Barbara Leone, Linda Shultz, and Annette Michael; many nieces and nephews; and loyal family dog Indy.

Born in Dennison, Ohio, on April 4, 1946, Bob's family moved several times before settling in Columbus. He graduated from Pleasant View High School in Grove City. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in November, 1965. He served aboard the USS Aucilla, performing refueling missions in the Mediterranean Sea and was discharged in November 1971. He attended Ohio State University before training as a machine repair machinist at Columbus State University.

In September, 1974, Bob met Elissa under the guise of testing carpet cleaning equipment with his brother. They would remain together from then forward and were married September 25, 1976. That same year, he was hired by the machine repair shop at General Motors' Fisher Body Plant and worked for GM and its subsidiaries until retiring in June, 2006.

Following retirement, Bob kept busy doing many projects around the house, tending to his plants and woods, and looking for bargains at garage sales. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, whether that be just sitting at the kitchen table coloring or travelling to attend recitals, competitions, and performances, even when he really didn't feel well enough to do so.

In 2018, Bob was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and dealt with treatment and complications for the duration of his life. He rarely complained about being ill, and focused his energy on making sure his loved ones were well taken care of. He entered home hospice in March, 2025, and passed peacefully surrounded by family, as he wanted.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at Moreland Funeral Home, 55 E. Schrock Rd., Westerville, Ohio, 43081. Services will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Humane Society of Delaware County, 4920 State Route 37, Delaware, Ohio, 43015, or Rescued Ohio, PO Box 382, New Albany, Ohio, 43054.