Robert L Scherer

Robert L. Scherer, 99, died at his home on August 20. Born July 2, 1925, in Cicero, Indiana, Bob was the fourth and youngest son of Harry J. and Sarah L. Scherer. He graduated in 1943 from Anderson High School, Anderson, Indiana, and immediately joined the Army. He served in New Guinea, the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan with the 11th Airborne Division. While in Luzon, he participated in the release of 2200 prisoners at Los Banos Prison Camp. The Augusta-Richmond County Historical Society recorded Bob’s experiences in World War II in 2010. On August 29, 1947, he married Mary C. P’Simer, his high school sweetheart, and they were together for 59 years until her death in 2007. Thanks to the GI Bill, Bob attended Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois, and graduated from there in 1951. While at Millikin he served three years as Intramural Manager and one year as President of Delta Sigma Phi social fraternity. It was at Millikin that Bob fine-tuned his love for college sports, particularly football and basketball, a love that he brought with him to Statesboro and to Georgia Southern’s teams. He was also a life-long fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, Big 10 football and basketball,  and more recently University of Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball. Although Bob had other plans when he graduated from college, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War and was a First Sergeant in a field artillery battalion at Fort Mccoy, Wisconsin. After that final stint in the Army, Bob had a series of quality control and manufacturing jobs that kept him and his family moving throughout the Midwest. In 1970, he was employed as Manufacturing Manager at Borg Warner Manufacturing facility in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England. The family spent three wonderful years there. 

In 1976, Bob joined Cooper-Wiss in New Jersey and moved with them to Statesboro, Georgia. He retired from Cooper-Wiss in 1990. Since Bob was never one to sit around, after retirement he worked on his golf game with a series of serious and not-so-serious partners. He also served on several volunteer positions in Statesboro, including: Chairman, Bulloch County American Cross; Board Member of Bulloch County Food Bank; Deacon and Elder at First Presbyterian Church; Board Member of Habitat for Humanity, Volunteer at East Georgia Regional Medical Center (and Volunteer of the Year in 2008); Member of Georgia Southern University Booster Club; and Member, Smithfield Golf Club. In 2000, Bob was selected for the Deen Day Smith Award for Service to Mankind. He was an avid reader of fiction and history, and often donated the new books to the Statesboro Public Library as quickly as he finished them. He also did beautiful counted cross-stitch projects and built the frames for the finished projects. At some point in his 80s, Bob learned to bake brownies. Bob had many good friends, wonderful neighbors, and his cat companion and good buddy, Winston.

 He leaves three daughters and two sons-in-law. They are: Susan Goscinski and husband John (Cedar Grove, NJ); Sara Scherer (Charlotte, NC); Sally Scherer and husband Charles Smith (Lexington, KY).

Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 24, at 10:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church (1215 Fair Road) in Statesboro

The funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM.

Officiating will be Rev. Taylor Lewis Guthrie Hartman.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to the Ogeechee Area Hospice or First Presbyterian Church of

Statesboro.