Robert C. Schauer

Robert "Bob" Charles Schauer, of Howell, Michigan, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, June 27, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Howell on November 26, 1936, to Arthur and Katherine "Alice" (Cook) Schauer, Bob was a lifelong learner who overcame dyslexia to become a high school science teacher. He put himself through Eastern Michigan University-hitchhiking home on weekends to work at A&P-and later earned a Master of Education from Michigan State University.
Bob met the love of his life, Myra Trafton, when her family moved to Howell during her sophomore year of high school. He cherished Myra's family, including her mother Dorothy, siblings, and their children. His happiest times were road trips in the family station wagon to spend summer vacations or Christmases with them.
A passionate educator, Bob taught biology and later chemistry, beginning in Brighton and Howell in the 1960s, then spending most of his career in Grand Blanc. He loved his students and especially his fellow science teachers, many of whom remained close friends and visited him in his final days. "Mr. Schauer" inspired his students, some of whom became teachers themselves.
Bob and Myra had two children: Anne Brockway of Howell and former Congressman Mark Schauer of Portage. Family was Bob's highest priority, and he treasured time spent with his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He shared a particularly close bond with granddaughter, Katie Aseltine, who lived upstairs from him with her family in his First Avenue home.
Bob and Myra shared a love of scuba diving, finding covered bridges in New England, whale watching, and weekly bridge with best friends. He was an avid stamp collector, maintaining U.S. and topical collections-dinosaurs, whales, and more-until his final days. His favorite weekly ritual was Thursday breakfast at Sunrise Family Diner, where he spent hours with his "restaurant family," who visited him faithfully throughout his illness.
Bob was generous in spirit, quietly making anonymous gifts to teachers and classrooms and lending a hand to those in need. He was deeply grateful to his devoted caregivers.
Bob is survived by daughter Anne Brockway (Ken) and son Mark Schauer (Christine), Anne's daughter Kathryn (Matt) Aseltine and their children Aiden and Zoe, and Mark and Christine's children Heather (Paul) Prusi Wilson and their two children, Holly (Chris) Bridges and their three children, and Nick Brownell. He is also survived by sister-in-law Jane (Trafton) Herlihy of New Hampshire-like a sister to him-and many loving nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Myra, and his older brother, Richard.
A funeral service will be held Wednesday, July 2, at 11:00 a.m. at Watkins Funeral Homes, MacDonald's Chapel in Howell. Visitation will take place Tuesday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made in Bob's honor to the Howell Education Foundation (howelleducationfoundation.org) to support innovative teaching projects.