Robert (Bob) Edwin Stinson passed from this world on Monday September 17, 2018 at Bridge Hospice in Bowling Green. He was born on February 5, 1920, in Jeffersonville, PA, to Spencer and Olga (Combes) Stinson.
Professor Emeritus of Art at Bowling Green State University, Bob taught both drawing and painting courses as well as art history throughout a 40-year career. He was the last living member of the original BGSU School of Art faculty. His paintings, in acrylics, oils, and watercolors, are owned by museums and individuals from Arizona to New York and Texas to Ohio, as well as overseas. He was also coauthor of Art Fundamentals, Theory and Practice, a textbook widely used in universities and colleges throughout the U.S.
A WWII veteran, Bob served in the Pacific theater of operations from 1942-45. After attending Indiana State College for a time, he received his BFA in Painting from the University of Illinois. After receiving his MA in Art History at the University of Iowa, and during his pursuit of his MFA in Painting at that university, he met and married the love of his life, Nilda J. Castro de Perea, in 1949. They then moved to Bowling Green, Ohio, where they remained through 60 years of marriage and to the end of their lives.
Bob is also the author of a condensed history of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Art. He traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as in Europe, Latin America, Japan, and China, sketching localities and photographing art for painting and historical research purposes.
Bob loved to work on his trains, building villages and towns in the basement of his family’s home. He also followed his favorite football team, the BGSU Falcons, on which he kept a file. A devoted father and husband, Bob camped and traveled with his family all over the U.S. Toward the end of his life, he became a member of The Center for Conscious Living in Waterville, Ohio, embracing the love, fellowship, and diverse views about religions and spirituality there.
Bob is survived by his daughters, Melanie A. Stinson, Bowling Green, and Pamela Stinson-Bell, Chester, NY, and a variety of cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nilda, two brothers, Richard and Davis Stinson, his parents, and his son-in-law, David H. Bell.
Family and friends may gather at Dunn Funeral Home, located in the Historical District of Bowling Green at 408 Wooster St., on Friday September 21, 2018 from 4-7 p.m. There will be a Celebration of Bob’s Life at The Center for Conscious Living, 7410 Noward Road off Route 64, Waterville, Ohio, (between Waterville and Whitehouse) on Saturday September 22, 2018 at 1:00p.m. Lunch will follow at the Center, the traditional potluck of CCL members, with catered food as well.
The interment in Oak Grove Cemetery, Bowling Green, will be private.
The family wishes to thank Wood County Hospital, Bridge Home Health and Hospice, and The Center for Conscious Living for all their care and support.
Memorial contributions in Robert E. Stinson’s name may be directed to The Center for Conscious Living, 7410 Noward Road, Waterville, Ohio 43566; the Salvation Army; Bowling Green Food Pantry; the BGSU School of Art, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403; or Bridge Home Health and Hospice, 1069 Klotz Rd., Bowling Green, Ohio 43402.
Online condolences may be shared with family at www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
