Robert J. "Big Bob" Notestine Jr.

Robert J. “Big Bob” Notestine Jr., 97, of Bellefontaine, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Logan Acres Care Center.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 10, 1928, Big Bob moved with his family back to Logan County as a young child. He grew up in Lakeview and later on East Auburn Avenue in Bellefontaine, where his parents operated a small in-home grocery. From the age of seven, he delivered groceries by wagon to neighbors after school, beginning a lifelong passion for work and service alongside his family in their many businesses.

He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1951, later retiring in Biloxi, Mississippi, before returning with his family to Bellefontaine in 1954. He worked as a railroad radio signal operator, then managed Sherwin-Williams for more than twenty years while owning numerous rental properties. He also owned and operated several restaurants, including the Bob ‘N’ Restaurant, and later Factory Direct Sales on South Elm Street, remaining active in the business until 2019 and completing an 85-year working career.

Big Bob is survived by his wife Dorothy and their three sons, Robert J. Notestine III (Jenny) of Nashville, Tennessee; Timothy L. Notestine (Kitty) of Bellefontaine; and Mark A. Notestine (Peggy) of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also survived by six grandchildren—Trent (Lisa), Wesley (Blaine), Dak (Alexandra), Dylan (Daniel), Aaron (Elizabeth), and Anna (Ben)—and five great-grandchildren, with another expected in June. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert J. Notestine Sr. and Dorothy E. Notestine (Koch), his sister Sandra J. Watkins (Paul), his brother Richard in infancy, and his daughter-in-law Melissa (North).

A lifelong resident with a generous heart, Big Bob served his community in many ways. He was a former City Councilman and Mayor of Bellefontaine in 1967, a dedicated Boy Scout leader who received the Silver Beaver award, and the last surviving charter member of the Logan County Historical Society. He was a longtime member of the Kiwanis and Exchange clubs, a proponent of the Safety Town program, and an active member of the First Christian Church, where he served as deacon, elder, and Sunday School teacher. His quiet commitment to helping others left a lasting mark on countless lives in Logan County.