The greater Marion area has many-many favorite sons and daughters. Today’s Person in the
Crowd came from humble beginnings and spent his entire career in service to his country and his state. He was destined to be a great leader and recognized as such by the Michigan State Police and the University of Michigan. Bob Pifer is highly regarded and is considered “one of Marion’s favorite sons,” due to his contributions, character, and deep connections to the community. His roots run deep in this area. After interviewing Bob, I think he is a relative to half the people in and around Marion.
Marion Press: Bob, were you born and raised in the Marion area?
Bob: My father was born in Winterfield Township, lived, and worked on a farm. He moved later to the Lansing and St. Johns area. My older brother and I were born there.
I moved up here with my mother, my older brother and two younger sisters in 1945. After moving to Winterfield Township, I went to the small Davis School on Haskell Lake Road. That school burned down, and I then attended another small school at the corner of Keene Road and Strawberry Lake Avenue (with about 12 students). Then we attended The Grander School where there may have been 30 students. After finishing the 7th grade, we moved to the Marion School, which is now the Elementary School on the west end of town. I graduated from Marion in 1957.
MP: Tell me about your military service.
Bob: While still in High School, I joined the Navel Reserves. A little bit later, two of my buddies, Dave Blackledge, J.B. Wheeler, and I enlisted in the Army. Our Basic was at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. The three of us joined the buddy’s system, which only lasted about 9 weeks before being split up. However, JB Wheeler and I ended up in Fort Campbell, Kentucky at the 101st Airborne School.
MP: How long were you in the 101st Airborne?
Bob: I was in 101st until September 1959 when I was transferred and shipped to Korea. When that occurred, I was transferred out of the 101st. While in Korea I was assigned to the 1st Corp Headquarters and worked out of AG’s office.
MP: When were you discharged from the military?
Bob: I was discharged from the military on October 12, 1960, and moved back here to Marion.
MP: What did you do upon returning to Marion?
Bob: I went to work Riverside Electric in Marion. I started as an inspector and then I became a foreman, and I was there until April 1962. I joined the Michigan State Police and attended the recruit school in East Lansing and became a trooper.
MP: Tell us the ranks that you served in and where you spent your time in the state police.
Bob: I went to the Ypsilanti Post as a trooper. In 1966 I was transferred as a trooper to the Mount Pleasant post. In December 67 I was promoted to detective, and I worked narcotics at the 2nd District HQ’s at 7 mile and Grand River. In 1970 I transferred back into uniform as a corporal and assigned back to the Ypsilanti Post where I was spent the next year before being promoted to sergeant. In 1974 I got promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the Jonesville Post. I was promoted to First Lieutenant in January 1976 I went to the back to the Ypsilanti Post where I served as the Post Commander. I stayed in that position until I retired in August 1985.
MP: When you were in the state place did you attend any special schools?
Bob: I attended the 107th FBI National Police Academy Session in Quantico Virginia in 1975.
MP: Is it a special school that only a few attends?
Bob: There are only 2 state police personnel who are chosen by the department at any one time to attend the FBI National Police Academy.
MP: Tell us what you did after retiring from the State Police.
Bob: I was hired by University of Michigan to be the Asst. Director of the Department of Public Safety within the University. In fact, the Director, Leo Heatly, who was also a retired commander in the Michigan State Police, and I were tasked with creating and organizing the all-new U of M Police Department. I remained at U of M for 14 years when I retired once again.
MP: What did you do following your retirement from U of M?
Bob: In 1967 I bought a farm in Winterfield Township from my grandmother, and I have owned it with my wife, Joann since that time. I do a lot of deer hunting both with bows and rifles. It is something I enjoy immensely. Every year I raise a large garden. Joann and I can a lot of the veggies and jams.
MP: Bob, tell me about your wife Joann and your family.
Bob: Joann and I were married after returning from Korea on November 5, 1960. In 1962 our oldest child, Dawn, was born. Our second daughter, Paula, was born in 1967. Our son, Robert Jr. was born in 1969.
MP: What has been the most meaningful time during your career?
Bob: I enjoyed all the time I was in the state police and in the University of Michigan. My favorite job was when I served as Post Commander at the Ypsilanti Post of the Michigan State Police. I enjoyed all my positions while in the State Police. Those positions were uniform trooper, detective uniform corporal, uniform sergeant, and the Post Commander. There was one more position I held as a trooper. I was involved in the arrest of our janitor for stealing my property within the post. We were then without a janitor, so I was assigned the janitorial duties until a new janitor was hired. As a young trooper and still on probation, you had to do your reports after an 8-hour shift, without pay. After the reports the young “cub” had to wash all the dirty cars, again, without pay.
MP: Bob, your roots run very deep in this area. Please tell us about your relatives here.
Bob: When my family and I moved back to the Winterfield Township and Marion area, I found that I had a lot of relatives. While attending the small schools that I mentioned, I found that many of the children in my classes were relatives.