Bob Fred Jesse

Bob Fred Jesse, 101, of Fort Wayne, Ind., passed away peacefully on December 18, 2025, surrounded by his family. His life was dedicated to his family, including his cherished wife Donna Ann (Burton) who he was married to for seventy-seven years; his children, Bob, Jr. (Susan), Sandra, and Cheryl (Mikel) Eid; five grandchildren, Kathryn (Ian) Sharer, Gregory (Lindsey) Eid, Amanda (Josh) Zurawski, Alexandra (Patrick) Carter, and Nicolas Carter; and six great-grandchildren, Meredith, Julia, Cooper, and Beckett Sharer, and Payton and Piper Eid. A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Bob was born April 21, 1924. Bob enlisted in the United States Merchant Marines. During operations in the English Channel to supply Allied troops in Normandy, on Thanksgiving Day 1944, his ship and, consequently, his lifeboat, were sunk by torpedoes. He was the sole survivor of the lifeboat sinking, and he received the Mariners Medal for his actions during the operation. After his heroic wartime service, he enrolled in Purdue University's School of Engineering. Earning his bachelor's degree in 1949, Bob had a long and distinguished professional career. He joined the Indiana Highway Commission as a bridge design engineer. A year later, he began an affiliation with C & C Construction Company in Fort Wayne as a field engineer. He was elected Executive Vice President in 1959 and President in 1969 when the company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric and was named Cebor Construction Corporation. Specializing in environmental engineering, he expanded the firm's operations worldwide. After leaving Cebor, he acquired Indiana Construction Corporation in 1974. He was the former owner of Classic Products Corporation and Hoosier Trailer and Truck Equipment, among others. Bob was awarded Sagamore of the Wabash twice. He served on the Board of Directors of several corporations. He gave his time and talents to a range of organizations in his community, including Fort Wayne National Bank, President of the Fort Wayne Country Club, Elder of the First Presbyterian Church, United Way, Junior Achievement, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Fort Wayne Zoological Society, and the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, among others. He was Chairman of the Board of Purdue University from 1989-1993 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Bob was an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting and fishing with his friends and family at his beloved retreat in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The family is planning a Celebration of Life in the spring. Details will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Purdue for Life Foundation or Junior Achievement.