Robert Lee Kingen

Robert Lee Kingen, age 83, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at his home in West Branch with his family by his side. He was born on November 4, 1938 in West Branch to Virgil and Marjorie (Winter) Kingen. He lived in West Branch his entire life.

Bob started racing cars at the age of 17 and stopped at 72 years old. He was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993. He worked at Coca Cola for over 40 years and served on the West Branch Fire Department for many years. Bob was a member of the Knights of Columbus, enjoyed golfing, was an avid bowler, and loved the casino.

Bob is survived by his daughters, Brenda (Helen) Kingen of St. Louis, MO, Kimberly Zygiel of West Branch, Tamara Kingen of St. Louis, MO, and Kelly Kingen of West Branch; grandchildren, Jacey (Lane Matthews) Zygiel, Justin (Jackie Zeitunian) Zygiel, Devin Childs, and Tess Childs; sister, Linda (Jim) Gavigan of Traverse City, MI; niece, Jami Wetzel; and nephew, Derek (Nora) Gavigan.

He is preceded in death by his parents and son-in-law, Dave Zygiel.

The family of Bob would like to thank Compassus Home Health Care and all their amazing workers especially Alex, and CareLinc for their wonderful staff that went above and beyond to help make sure Bob got the best care possible.

A celebration of Bob’s life, with sharing memories and stories, will take place on Sunday, June 5, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Buck’s Hideaway in West Branch.

Arrangements were handled by Steuernol & McLaren Funeral Home in West Branch. www.steuernolmclaren.com