Robert “Bob” Marsden died on May 5, 2026, of advanced lung cancer. He was 75 years old.
He was born in Ossining, New York to William James Marsden and Marjorie Ethel (Lacey) Marsden (both deceased). He has an older brother, William Wayne. When he was three, his family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. His earliest memories were of trips to the beach on a daily basis. The family moved back to New York after a few years and lived in a small house in the woods outside of Ossining. He had fond memories of playing with his dogs out in the woods.
Bob loved baseball and played on teams from age seven through high school. He pitched and played third base. In high school Bob met Ingrid Jurka. They married in 1972 and had two sons: Robert Sean and Ryan James. They divorced in 1979. In 1980 Bob married Julie Elizabeth Layer. They had initially met when they were 14 and 16 years old. They have a daughter: Rebecca Marsden Layer. They lived in Chicago and Bartlett, Illinois, Richmond, Virginia, and Taos, New Mexico before moving to the countryside outside of Alexis, Illinois. They have lived there since 1996.
Bob worked in sales and marketing for a diverse number of companies. In these positions he traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada.
Bob loved horses and started riding while in Taos. He continued to ride for several years after moving to the Alexis area. Another love was travel.
After retiring in 2016, He and Julie traveled to Zambia, Botswana, Peru, the Galapagos, England, Egypt, Italy, and France. While in England they visited the small town where his grandmother’s family originated in the 1600s. Genealogy was a big interest of Bob’s. He spent years tracing the four branches of his family tree; in some cases, he traced back four centuries.
Bob will be remembered as a loving, caring, funny man and will be greatly missed.
Cremation rites have been accorded. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Friends may send cards for the family to the funeral home. McGuire & Davies Funeral Home and Crematory, Monmouth, IL, is in charge of the arrangements. For more information or to leave an online condolence, please visit, www.mcguireanddaviesfuneralhome.com.
