Robert Berry McEwan, 73, of Henderson, Illinois, passed away in Houston, Texas on Sunday, November 2, 2025, while undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer.
He was born on April 7th, 1952, in Pasadena, California to Jack Berry and Betty Jean (Clark) McEwan. Most of his childhood years were spent in Arcadia, California, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and graduated from Arcadia High School. These early years in the sun and ocean fostered a love of the water and waves that stayed with him his entire life. He loved swimming and worked as a lifeguard for Los Angeles County. He learned to surf as a teenager and added on water skiing as an adult. His California surfboard still hangs in his garage in Illinois.
After high school, he served for 2 years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pennsylvania, unknowingly serving not too far from his future wife. After returning and enrolling at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Robert met Sandra Marie Greer and the two were married for time and all eternity on July 22, 1978, in the Los Angeles temple of the Church.
After graduating with a degree in Microbiology, and welcoming the birth of their first child, Michael, the young family moved to Chicago, Illinois where Rob attended the Illinois College of Optometry and received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1984. In that same year, their second child, Brian, was born and the family moved for a short time to Roy and then Logan, Utah, before returning to Illinois and settling in Henderson.
As a member of the American Optometric Association, Rob provided optometry services in Utah and Illinois for 38 years before retiring in 2022. He served in many positions locally for the Church including Bishoprics and stake councils, and was active in local politics on the board and later as mayor of Henderson for many years. He was also a member of the Monmouth Flying Club for over 30 years and maintained his personal pilot license.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years Sandra Marie McEwan (Henderson, Illinois), mother Betty Jean McEwan (Arcadia, California), brother Lynn and his wife Marla (Lancaster, California), brother Richard and his wife Charlotte (Hong Kong), son Michael and his wife Lea (Glenwood Springs, Colorado), son Brian and his wife Megan (Sale Creek, Tennessee), and grandchildren Claire, Mazy, Jack, Evey, Joseph, Ramsey and Calvin. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Berry McEwan.
Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, November 14, 2025, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services of Galesburg. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 15, 2025, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with burial to follow in Henderson Cemetery.
As an avid blood donor, donations could be made to the American Red Cross in lieu of flowers. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
