Robert W. Fellman

1926 - 2014

Fellman, Robert Windsand

Robert Windsand Fellman died Monday, March 10, 2014, of natural causes at his Fond du Lac home of nearly 50 years. He was 88.

Bob was born February 21, 1926 in Rosiclare, Ill., to Carl and Hannah (Windsand) Fellman. He grew up in the iron ore mining town of Montreal, Wis., where his father was the safety engineer of the Montreal Mining Company as well as mayor of Montreal.

Bob graduated from Hurley High School in 1943. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II from 1944 to 1945 as an aerial gunner.

After the war, Bob attended the University of Wisconsin Madison on the GI Bill. He graduated in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science in Light Building.

Upon graduation, he worked at Connor Lumber Company, based in Laona, Wis., for two years.

He was a special agent of the FBI from 1951 until 1960. During his FBI career, Bob worked on both criminal and security cases in Mobile, Ala., Pensacola, Fla., and Newark, N.J. He received two letters of commendation from J. Edgar Hoover.

Bob joined Mercury Marine in 1960 as a vice president in international sales, first working for two years in Denver, Colo., and then in Fond du Lac until 1980. He met Virginia Gallagher at Mercury Marine's Main Street office, and they married in 1962.

In 1969, he founded EconoPrint, a quick printing business, in Fond du Lac. He expanded it to Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Beaver Dam. Bob was active as president until retiring in 1990. The company is now called EP-Direct.

Bob was a former member of Toastmasters and served for many years on the advisory board of the local Salvation Army.

He enjoyed hunting ruffed grouse and fishing for brook trout in northern Wisconsin with his high school friends and duck hunting on the Mississippi River with friends from Fond du Lac.

Bob enjoyed reading, sailing, skiing and being in the outdoors. He especially enjoyed a good joke and a brandy Manhattan.

Most of all, Bob loved to spend time with his family. Together they enjoyed family vacations across the country, especially in northern Wisconsin and Door County, boating, throwing the Frisbee around and lucrative poker games. With his grandchildren, he enjoyed exchanging silly drawings of each other.

He is survived by his wife, Ginny; his children: Megan (Tony Rosso) Fellman of Chicago, Ill., Carrie (Ian) Gustin of Denver, Colo., Katie Fellman of Fort Wayne, Ind., and Greg (Noelle) Fellman of Denver, Colo.; his grandchildren: Aidan, Maura, Fiona and Conor Gustin of Denver, and Nathaniel and Maxwell Fellman of Fort Wayne; nieces: Maureen Dumas of Fond du Lac and Holly Hudak of Maine; nephews: Robert Fellman, Carl Fellman and Paul Fellman, all of Maine.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents Carl and Hannah Fellman and his brother, Paul Fellman.

Visitation: Family will receive relatives and friends on Friday, March 14, 2014 at Zacherl Funeral Home, 875 E. Division St., Fond du Lac, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. There will also be visitation on Saturday at the funeral home from 9:30 to 10:45 am.

Services: A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at Zacherl Funeral Home at 11:00 AM. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Robert Fellman's name to the Salvation Army, 237 N. Macy St., Fond du Lac, WI 54935 or Trout Unlimited, Wild Rivers Chapter, C/O Dick Berge, 67725 E. Deep Lake Drive, Iron River, WI 54847.

Zacherl Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family. www.zacherlfuneralhome.com