Robert J. Pettit, 76, of Ashland, passed away Saturday afternoon, June 13, 2015 at Hospice of North Central Ohio.

Mr. Pettit was born July 10, 1938 on the family farm near Sullivan in Ashland County.

He was the son of the late Arthur and Cora (Ziegler) Pettit. Raised on the family farm, Bob graduated from Sullivan High School in the class of 1956.

Following graduation Bob served his country as a member of the United States Navy from 1956 to 1958 and served on the USS Iowa.

After he was discharged from the navy, he returned home to work on the family farm that he grew up on. He then took a job as a machinist with the Timken Company in Ashland where he worked for over 30 years. Never one to sit around, he worked part time at the Troy Road Market while working for Tinken and following his retirement from Timken, he continued to work at the market a couple days a week. He also worked at Hillman Machine Shop and with his son at Dor Lo Pizza in Ashland.

He was a member of the Ashland Church of the Nazarene where he served as an usher and was a member of the Helping Hands Sunday School Class. He was a member of the NRA and the Ohio Big Buck Club. He enjoyed hunting and playing softball with his friends in the Huff & Puffers League and also in the church league. He also enjoyed gardening and would help his neighbors in the springtime by tilling their gardens up for them. He also had a unique ability to find four leaf clovers.

On September 2, 1962 Robert was married to Linda Wynn and the couple celebrated over 62 years of marriage together. He is survived by his wife, Linda Pettit of Ashland; one daughter, Robin Pettit and her fiancé Brandon Stine of Ashland; one son, Robert James (Cindy) Pettit of Ashland; seven grandchildren, Jeffrey and Tyler Cooper, Lacey Pettit, and Antonia, Jaqueline, Amanda and Tyler Sanders; four great grandchildren, Raylon, Robert, Leviathan and Salem; and one sister, Bonnie Hofer of Ashland and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents and one sister, Betty Sparr.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the Ashland Church of the Nazarene with Rev. Dave Langdon officiating. Burial, with full military honors provided by the Ashland Veterans Honor Guard, will be in the Ashland Cemetery. Friends may call on Tuesday, June 16, 2015 from 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home and again on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the services at the Ashland Church of the Nazarene.

The family suggests that memorial contributions may be made to the Ashland Church of the Nazarene, 1196 Twp. Rd. 1506, Ashland, Ohio 44805 or to the Pettit family and left at the funeral home.

For those not able to attend, expressions of sympathy may be made to the family by visiting www.dpkfh.com

Denbow-Gasche Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Robert Pettit.