Bob Canning obituary

Robert Calvin Canning died Jan. 2 after a battle with cancer. Services were held Friday, Jan. 8 at Third Baptist Church.

Bob was born March 16, 1931 on a farm west of Hale, Mo; in Livingston County. He was the third of five children born to Carmel C. and Anna Maude (Fullerton) Canning.

After graduating from Hale High School in 1948, he attended the Chillicothe Business College. In 1951 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served for four years. He spent time in Hawaii, Okinawa and Moffet Field. After discharge from the Navy, he attended the University of Missouri for two years before transferring to the University of Denver where he received a bachelor's degree in business administration. While in Colorado, he developed a love for the ski slopes. He lived in Denver until 1967 when he moved to St. Louis, where he was employed by the U.S. government with a position in the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Command as a computer programmer/specialist. He retired in 1993.

In 1968, Bob joined Third Baptist Church, where he met Delilah Jones. They were married in 1970 at TBC by Nelson Reagan.

Through the years Bob has actively served the church in many positions, i.e. deacon, secretary of trustees, nominating committee and chancel choir member.

Since his retirement, he has kept busy with his hobbies, meticulous wood projects, working in the food pantry at Third Baptist and volunteering at Missouri Baptist Medical Center where he signed the surgical pillows -- up to 7,000 a year. He volunteered in the Foundation Office at MBMC for several years. He served on the hospital auxiliary board as treasurer for several years until May 2009. Bob has always been generous with his time, talents and means.

Bob loved to sing. He told of his Grandfather Fullerton who sang -- with quite a loud voice -- the hymns at church. He especially remembered his grandfather singing "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder." He enjoyed the hymns in his Sunday School class led by Mary Bonney.

Bob is survived by his wife, Delilah; his sister, Louise Barlow, Hale; brothers Charles and wife, Bertie, of Powder Springs, Ga., and Loyd and wife, Judy, of Kearney; seven nieces and nephews, eight great nieces and nephews, ten great greats and many cousins.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Carmel and Maude Canning, and his brother, Harold Ross Canning.