Robert Wayne Tison
June 22, 1970 ~ September 10, 2012
Resided in:
Arden, NC
Robert Wayne Tison
Arden- Robert Wayne Tison, 42, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2012 in his home in Arden, after a brave battle with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). He was a loving and devoted husband to his wife of 17 years, Kelly and beloved father to Tyler (15) and Sydne (12) and his best buddy Otis.
He is survived by his wife, Kelly Renea Tison and two children, Tyler and Sydne; his parents Barbara and Darryl Tison; a brother, Lynn Tison (Lisa) and a sister Cassie Jerore (Duane) of Michigan; in-laws, Grandpa George Thatcher, Rich and Sue Thatcher of Asheville, sister-in-law, Amy Herren of Asheville, and many nieces and nephews who loved him very much (Matthew, Megan, Michael, Mitchell, Madison, Taylor, Luke, Cody and Jordan).
Rob grew up in Commerce Township, Michigan and was a 1988 graduate of Walled Lake Central High School and 1993 graduate of General Motors Institute. He has worked as a mechanical engineer for Rockwell, Con-Met (Oregon), American Axle, Cane Creek Cycling, Borg Warner Cooling and Turbo systems. He was a licensed Realtor, and most recently a project manager for Glennwood Custom Builders.
He was an avid outdoorsman and loved cycling, running, hiking, geocaching, kayaking and camping. After being diagnosed with ALS on March 8, 2010 he focused his skills on finding a cure for ALS. He was a patient representative for the CDC National ALS Registry, ambassador for the Northeastern ALS Consortium, and advocated on Capitol Hill three times for money to fund ALS research. He received many awards for his advocacy, including the ALS Association 2012 Rasmussen Advocate of the Year award.
He could be found regularly on PatientsLikeMe.com giving advice and input with graphs to back up his analysis. A Facebook Page was created in honor of his advocacy for ALS (Persevering- You are a game changer).
A gathering for the Celebration of Life service will be at Zephyr Hills Baptist Church, 283 Shelburne Road, Asheville, NC 28806 at 10:30 AM Wednesday, September 12, 2012 with the service starting at 11:00. The family graciously asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made in Rob's memory to the college fund savings account for Tyler and Sydne Tison at any local First Citizens Bank.
Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.
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To a guy who imbraced life with everything he had and celebrated every heartbeat with every breath he had.
Hi Carrie and family-
So sorry to hear about your brother. May he rest in peace and free of pain. I will be praying for you and your family.
We are so sorry for your loss Kelly, we will definately keep you and your family in our prayers.
Kelly…. My deepest sympathy for this most difficult time. I have you, and all of the family, in my heart, thoughts and prayers.
Love –
Heidi
Kelly,
Scott and I will be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. Love you guys! If you ever need anything we are just a phone call away.
To Kelly and all of the family,
We are so sorry to hear of Rob’s passing. May memories of happy times filled with love and laughter comfort you, and God’s grace sustain you in the days to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Harrison and Diane Smith
When I was first diagnosed with ALS, Rob was the first voice of reason, research, and intellect that I came across. Then we discovered we both had goldendoodles. It is hard for anyone who doesn’t have ALS to understand the way in which we will miss him. My greatest sympathies and condolences to his family. I know you are all very proud of what he did for all of us. I just feel honored by his presence in our lives. Stand tall in walk strong Rob
Rob was a big help to me and inspiration. He will be greatly missed.
Kelly, and Family,
May the sadness witch you experience now be comforted by great memories of a treasured life.
With Deep Sympathy and Love,
Karen and Bruce
Cassie:
I know your brother is in a better place. My prayers are with you and your family.
Dear Kelly and family,
My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this most difficult time. May God bless you with peace as you deal with this great loss.
Sweet Kelly, Tyler and Sydne,
Though Rob’s phenomenal journey is now over, his soul and the memories of joy-filled times with him will be with you always.
Peace and love to you, Judy
Sorry for your loss Kelly, I am praying for you and your family.
Kelly, Tyler, Syndey, Barb, Darryl, Lynn, Casie and the Tison and Jerore family. We send our love and prayers to you all during this time. Robbie was an amazing Nephew and will me missed dearly! Robbie has left a legacy for his Wife Kelly and children Tyler and Sydney to cherish forever. They have so many wonderful memories to hold and love forever. Robbie touched everyone who ever met him and will be remembered for the things he did to help all ALS patients. He was an amazing man. He is in God’s loving arms now. Robbie we love you and will miss you but will always have our memories that you gave us during you 42 years of life. God be with the Tison and Jerore families and give them comfort and love during this time. Robbie I love you and will miss you. Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Dale
Kelly, we met in DC back in May, I don’t know if you remeber us. My husband Terry also has ALS. Just wanted to let you know that your family is in our prayers.
He was a good friend to me always willing to help. He was always the go to guy for any ALS questions. I was also in the NP001 trial and it was a pleasure watching him getting better throughout it. My thoughts and prayers are with you and he will be greatly missed!!!
Thoughts and prayers are with you.
Kelly and Family,
You will be in our thoughts and prayers. With love to you all.
Sam, Jennifer and Kaiti Blythe
So very sorry Kelly that you have lost Rob. We missed you all sorely when you moved. We still think of you often. We pray that God will keep you, Tyler, and, Sydne in His Son’s embrace.
Mike, Judy, Lauren & Grant Hunt
My Sweet Friend Kelly – I was so saddened to hear about Rob. I will be keeping you and Tyler and Sydne in my thoughts and prayers.
With Love,
Sandy
To the Tison familes, words cannot be expressed for your loss,please know all of you,your famlies..are in my thoughts and prayers.Know that Rob will never be forgotten,for he is LOVED by all,and the Lord. God Bless, Elle
Kelly and Family. We are so sorry for your loss of Rob. All of our heart felt condolences and love go out to with you. The Fountains- Juanita, Shawn and Greg
To the family- They are limiting my response to a 1000 characters. 1000 characters is cheating Rob it should be limited to a million characters! I could go on and on about all of Rob’s great qualities. The one thing I want you to know- I am a better person today because I grew up around your husband and your dad. He was truly a great person and a great cousin. I also want you to know that my family will always be here for your family. Please stay strong and know you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Son you will be sadly missed. Your life seemed short in years but your accomplishments have been enormous. We all know your life has not been in vain. We are happy you are with the Lord. We will forever cherish the years we had with you. Will forever cherish the many memories you have left behind. LOVE, MOM /DAD
Our prayers are with you all.
To Whole Tison Family,
Please know our thoughts, love, and prayers are with you all. May the Lord give you his peace at this time.’Where there is sadness, love plants a garden of memories’. God’s blessing on you all.
Cassie & The Tison Family,
Our prayers and sympathies are with you during this difficult time. Although, I never met Rob, I was lucky enough to know his strengths, passions, and spirit through Cassie’s words. Thank you for sharing that part of him with us.
To the friends and family of Rob,
I worked with Rob while he was at Meritor. He was a very detailed and conscientious engineer. I remember when we both got called into the manager’s office to explain a practical joke some people didn’t find as funny as we did. We had fun. He was a good man and will be missed. I knew Rich Thatcher well and will pray for him and Rob’s family in this difficult time.
Our condolences go out to Kelly, Tyler and Sydne, as well as Rob’s extended family. We were sorry to hear of Rob’s passing and offer this prayer for him:
Almighty God, we remember this day before thee thy faithful servant Rob; and we pray that, having opened to him the gates of larger life, thou wilt receive him more and more into thy joyful service, that, with all who have faithfully served thee in the past, he may share in the eternal victory of Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
He was great Father, Son and Brother, and for me a great cousin. He will be missed and we are thankful for the time we shared with him and his family. As we grew older it became tougher to stay close, but Rob had such an impact on me growing up. He was always a positive influence and someone I looked up to. He is in a better place now. Rest in Peace Rob.
Dear Kelly, We are so very sorry for your loss. From reading about him, it is clear that your husband was an extradordinary, courageous person. He touched many people during his life, especially in his journey with ALS. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. Warmest Regards, Nancy & Mike Murphy
Dear Kelly & family: We are so sorry for your loss and know the struggles you have gone through. Please know we are praying for you and the family. Diane & Randy Foote