Robert Taylor Thompson

Robert Taylor Thompson, born on Saturday, May 16, 1936, passed away peacefully at his home in Elyria at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025, lovingly attended to by his wife, Elaine, and his youngest son, Andy.  He considered himself “Lucky Bob!”  He trusted that “The Universal Ways and Means” would work everything out.  When asked, “How are you, Bob?”  He would flash a dashing smile and reply, “I’m reasonable!”  He graduated from Lakewood High School and played on the football team.  During the summer months of his teen years, he was a lifeguard at the Cleveland Yachting Club, a boat club in Rocky River.  After graduating from high school, he served in the Coast Guard in Alaska.  Upon returning home to Lakewood, Ohio, he worked as a Ramp Rat at Cleveland Hopkins Airport for one of the airlines.  Thrice married, at age 22, he met Roberta “Bobbi” Anne Holliday, who also worked at the airport.  She was his first wife and mother of his children:  Brian, Brad, Leslie, and Robert “Andy.” Motivated by such self-help gurus as Zig Ziglar, Dale Carnegie, and Napoleon Hill, Bob branched out as an entrepreneur after many years of working in sales for Holliday Enterprises, his father-in-law’s stationery sales company.  He founded EM Print Group, a printing company in Elyria, Ohio.  His employees admired him and affectionately referred to him as “Mr. T!”  After 25 years, Bob and Bobbi had an amicable divorce.  His second wife of ten years was Attorney Marilu Laubenthal, and his third wife of 25 years was Elaine Porter, whom he met on a trip to China.  Elaine and Bob enjoyed traveling together to places like Versailles and New Zealand and spent summer vacations at Chautauqua Institution in New York, and even managed to check hot air ballooning off their bucket list!  In his later years, Bob started using a wheelchair after suffering multiple strokes.  Elaine spent much of her time tending to him and their beautiful garden, reading, enjoying her friends, their dogs, and traveling, when possible.  He remained mentally acute, and his positive attitude and charming personality shone through until the very last day of his life.  He was indeed “Lucky Bob,” a Pepsiholic who indulged in French onion dip and potato chips—and having a strong sweet tooth, he delighted in sharing donuts with the Envelope Mart team every Friday, a tradition continued by his son, Andy.  Robert Taylor Thompson, a handsome man of 6’2,” with eyes of blue, who’s “it factor” shone in his swagger, was the first born of three children, of Margaret Taylor Thompson and Parke Alexander Thompson, is survived by his wife, Elaine Thompson, his brother, Jerry Thompson, his four children, and grandchildren, Ben, Mike, Sean, Justin, Seth, Mariah, Sierra, and Rachel, and great-grandchildren, Kennedy, Cameron, Ben, Ava, Nora, Will and Piper.

 A Celebration of Life will be held at the home of Leslie Thompson at 4 pm on Sunday, July 6th, 2025, at 23609 Lake Rd. Bay Village, Ohio  44140.  Bring a dish, if you wish!

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