1928-2026
Robert J. "Big Bob" Notestine Jr., 97, of Bellefontaine, passed away on Monday, March 9, 2026, at Logan Acres Care Center.
"Big Bob" was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 10, 1928, where his father, Bob, had moved the family during the Great Depression, looking for work. They moved back to Logan County a couple of years later, living in Lakeview until his parents bought a house on East Auburn Avenue in Bellefontaine, where they operated a small in-home grocery & this is where Bob got his start in business, delivering groceries by wagon to the neighbors at the age of 7 after school. Bob continued working alongside his parents in various businesses until he entered the US Air Force in 1951. The family businesses were many & included a soda pop route, the Logan Newsstand, which later became Jackson's Newsstand, the 5 & 10 cent store in West Liberty, Bob's Hamburger Shop in Springfield & finally Bob's Dairy King/Hamburger on South Main Street, which became the Dutch Mill Restaurant. Bob bought it back in 1969 & operated with his wife Dorothy until 1972 as the Bob 'N' Restaurant. It is the site of the Kemba Credit Union today.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert J. Notestine Sr. & Dorothy E. Notestine (Koch), his sister Sandra J. Watkins (Paul) & in infancy by his brother Richard & by his daughter-in-law Melissa (North). He is survived by his wife, Dorothy & their 3 sons, Robert J. Notestine III (Jenny) of Nashville, Tennessee; Timothy L. Notestine (Kitty) of Bellefontaine; & Mark A. Notestine (Peggy) of Indianapolis, Indiana. Each son has 2 children: Trent (Lisa), Wesley (Blaine) of Nashville; Dak (Alexandra) of Blue Ash, Ohio; & Dylan (Daniel) of Wilton Manors, Florida; Aaron (Elizabeth) of Greendale, Wisconsin & Anna (Ben) of Nashville. There are 5 great-grandchildren, with another due in June. He also has numerous cousins, nieces & nephews locally in Ohio & elsewhere.
After retiring from the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi, Bob & family moved back to Bellefontaine in 1954 & worked for the railroad as a radio signal operator. In 1959, he became the manager of Sherwin-Williams for over 20 years & in the process owned numerous rental units at one time totaling 56. In addition to the Bob 'N', he was involved in starting the Chicken Ranch & owned restaurants in Zanesfield & West Mansfield. He left Sherwin-Williams to own & operate Factory Direct Sales on S. Elm Street, which he sold in 2005, but remained on site helping until 2019. His working career spanned 85 years.
Bob was a former City Councilman & served as Mayor in 1967. He was active with the Boy Scouts for many years, receiving their Silver Beaver award for his efforts. He was the last original surviving charter member of the Logan County Historical Society and was a longtime member of both the Kiwanis Club & the Exchange Club, where he was a past president. He was one of the proponents of the Safety Town program, which continues to this day, spanning 65 years, trying to teach young school-aged children traffic safety & other topics to keep them safe. It is thought that thousands of children with local ties have attended this program.
He was a faithful member of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, having served as a deacon, elder & longtime Sunday School teacher known for serving fresh fried doughnuts. He was a past president of the Jaycees, served on the board of the Logan County Friendly Senior Center, had been a vice president of the local Gideon chapter & Counselor of UCT, former President of the CAC board, and was a member of the Logan County Genealogical Society.
"Big Bob" had a big heart & had been involved over the years trying to lend a helping hand to those in need. Please support your favorite need or charity in his memory or the Logan County Historical Society.
Rev. Kevin C. Greenwald will officiate a funeral service at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Eichholtz & Daring Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 321 N. Main Street, Bellefontaine. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in West Liberty.
Memorial contributions may be made to Logan County Historical Society, 521 E. Columbus Avenue, Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311.
EICHHOLTZ & DARING FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTER, BELLEFONTAINE, is honored to serve the Notestine family and encourages anyone to share a fond memory or message of condolence at eichholtzdaring.com
