Robert F. "Bob" Ramey, age 87, a resident of Windsor Park, Carol Stream, Illinois, went home to heaven on the Lord's Day, April 15, 2018. He died in his sleep after a fight with cancer, at the Northwestern Medical Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, Illinois. Bob was born on May 15, 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Robert and May (nee Lotz) Ramey.

Bob had degrees from the Philadelphia School of Art, the Moody Bible Institute, and Dallas Theological Seminary. He was a lifelong artist, having penned the drawings in the first edition of Unger's Bible Dictionary, and produced many paintings and illustrations for Bible camps, conferences, Sunday School classes, college curricula, and private collections. His son and daughter possess his masterful paintings, as do other family members and close friends for whom he painted special themes over the years.

Bob was also a lifelong itinerant preacher and professor of theology and Bible. He taught countless generations of students at the William Tyndale College (formerly Detroit Bible College), Grace Theological Seminary (Winona Lake, IN), Emmaus Bible College of Dubuque, IA (formerly of Oak Park, IL), and Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, IL). He also published magazine articles, book chapters, and many church-related products.

An avid student of history, Bob loved visiting his children and grandchildren all over the world. During one memorable sabbatical from Emmaus Bible College, he provided aid and comfort to missionaries throughout Europe and Africa. During other visits he was able to partially retrace the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Turkey and Martin Luther in Germany. And during a life-changing trip to Israel in 1966, he saw the hometown and many ministry venues of his Lord Jesus Christ.

During the final decades of his life, Bob was resolutely devoted to Woodside Bible Chapel, and Bible studies he led on Monday nights at First Presbyterian Church in River Forest, and on Thursdays at the Brookfield Zoo. Members of these gatherings were his passion and he regarded them as fellow travelers in searching the Scriptures. Bob literally gave his life's time and full energy to these friends, all of whom he longed to see with him in heaven one day. Beyond these ministry labors he witnessed for Christ at every opportunity, whether at Windsor Park, the gas station, supermarket, and anywhere else anyone was willing to listen!

Bob is survived by his son Rob, of Fairfax, Virginia, and daughter Beth, of Bellevue, Washington. He is also survived by his sister Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, of New Jersey, and Rob's three daughters Alexandra, Gabrielle, and Abigail. In addition, of special note is the lifelong friendship Bob had with his cousin Nancy Bakalar, her husband Paul and their son Joshua of Skokie IL. They have been the backbone of family support to Bob throughout his lifetime.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Woodside Bible Chapel, 621 N 1st Ave, Maywood, Illinois 60153. Interment will be private at Bronswood Cemetery in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Memorial gifts may be directed to Emmaus Bible College , 2570 Asbury Rd, Dubuque, IA  52001; or to Christian Missions in Many Lands , P.O. Box 13, Spring Lake, NJ 07762-0013.