Robert J. Wade

Robert J. Wade, 86, passed away early Saturday morning, February 8, 2025 in Bradenton, FL.  We have faith he celebrates a life well lived, alongside his wife, Ann, with our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.

Robert (Bob) was born in Martinsville, Indiana, the son of Robert Sr. & Irma Wade.  He grew up in Martinsville with his sister, Alice.

Bob graduated from Martinsville High School and went on to major in Finance at Indiana University, where he played Timpani in the IU Symphony and Bass Drum in the IU Marching Band.  He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, earning his Juris Doctor, and of Southern Methodist University, earning his LLM in Taxation.

During his summers, he worked as a camp counselor at Camp James Whitcomb Riley at Bradford Woods, where he met the love of his life, Ann Oliver Starnes.  They were married in June 1963 and promptly started their family with the birth of their son Sam in the summer of 1964.  For the next 12 years they continued to juggle summers at the camp alongside everything else.

While Bob was teaching law school for a couple years at Texas Tech, their second son John was born.  Shortly after, they moved to Ohio, and Bob worked at Wright State University.  It wasn’t long after that their third son Lawson was born.  Two years later, they moved to the Columbus area.  There he started his decades-long career at Capital University Law School, starting as Professor, then Associate Dean, and ultimately the founder and director of the Graduate Program for International Tax Law, finally retiring as Professor Emeritus.

Later in their professional lives Bob and Ann traveled extensively, fostering exchange programs in Poland, Germany, Greece, and China.

As a boy, Bob was active in Boy Scouts of America and earned the ranks of Eagle Scout and Explorer Eagle.  As an adult, he served as Scoutmaster for Troop 588 through Church of the Good Shepherd UMC.

Throughout his life, Bob enjoyed numerous interests, including camping and canoeing, scouting, marching band music, trains and train travel, British comedy television, and scuba diving.  He also took great pleasure in engaging his sons and family in activities and travels throughout the country.

Family & Friends:

Bob & Ann are survived by their sons and their families: Samuel & Tina Wade, John & Chrissy Wade, and Lawson & Kathy Wade.  Bob & Ann have six grandchildren — Laura, Joe, Nick, Michael (& Taylor), Justin, and Brianna — and two great-granddaughters, Susan and Samantha-Ann.

Bob is also survived by his sister and her husband, Alice & Bill Duvall; by Ann’s brother and his wife, Lawson & Pam Starnes; by nieces and nephews Jay & Tina Duvall, Laney & Phil Kosarek, Anna & Daniel Frlan, and Mary & Frederick Ruckersfeldt; by great-nieces and great-nephews Sam, Jake, Will, Ted, Mariana, Vivi, and Naomi; and by first cousins Keith Wade and Donald Moseley and their families.

We are grateful for Darla & Rick Osborne, along with Anthony, Nicole, and Amanda for being such good caregivers and friends to Bob for his final 8 or so years in Florida.

Bob & Ann and their good friends Bob & Nancy Dolphin enjoyed many fine times throughout the years at Camp Riley.  They were instrumental in its expansion of child handicapped and adult cerebral palsy sessions, with Ann serving as occupational therapist, Nancy as the camp nurse, and each Bob serving as Director and Associate Director.

Bob is preceded in death by his wife Ann in 2010, by his older brother Sam, who died at the age of two, and by his niece Marla Ann Duvall.

Funeral arrangements:

A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at

Church of the Messiah, 51 N. State St., Westerville, OH 43081

with luncheon to follow at the church. 

The service will also be streamed online (http://www.messiahumc.net)

Zoom portal after service.*

A graveside service will be held at 1:00pm on Sunday, March 2, 2025 at

Mooresville Cemetery, S. Franklin St, Mooresville, IN 46158,

also with a luncheon to follow, as well as Zoom portal.*

*Please contact family for streaming, zoom & other details at:  rjwj_info_2025@yahoo.com

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Riley Children’s Foundation (https://rileykids.org), United Cerebral Palsy (https://ucp.org), or Scouting America (https://www.scouting.org), formerly known as Boy Scouts of America.