The entire Spherion community is saddened to acknowledge the death of Robert “Bob” M. Schulte of western Ohio. Bob passed away on July 14, 2022, comforted at home by his loving family.
Bob opened his first staffing agency in Lima in 1962 with the help of his late wife Grace, a registered nurse, just four years after they married in 1958. Bob and his Gracie were married for 58 years before her passing in 2016. After becoming a Personnel Pool franchise in 1980, together with the help of their four children —Robert, Karen, Patricia and Lynn—Bob and Grace built a regional network of Interim Personnel and Interim Healthcare offices, which later became Spherion offices. Their businesses provided essential staffing services for workers and employers in Bellefontaine, Dayton, Findlay, Lima, Sidney, and St Marys, Ohio.
Bob was Spherion’s longest-tenured franchisee and is considered a legend among our community for his kind and generous spirit within and beyond our franchisee community. Many remember him as an ambitious, motivated leader who always made time to mentor others and encourage them toward their individual goals. Bob and Grace often won company awards over the years for personifying the entrepreneurial spirit, including Owners of the Year and the L.E. Dettman Founders Award.
In addition to an invested Spherion franchisee, Bob made a point of investing in his community and his country. After graduating from Kalida High School in 1950, Bob served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War. He earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering from The Ohio State University in 1960 but soon changed gears into entrepreneurship.
A connector and community builder at heart, Bob was also highly involved with the Lima Chamber of Commerce, the West Central (Ohio) Regional Development Board, Allen County Visionaries, Legatus International, Serra International, Ohio Association of Personnel Consultants, and the National Management Association. His work outside of the office will continue impacting his beloved communities just as much as his Spherion businesses will continue serving job seekers and employers with services that support individuals, families, and communities.
A funeral mass was held on Monday, July 18 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Delphos, Ohio. His funeral was a joyous celebration of Bob’s life and his Catholic faith with ten priests and a full choir to guide him home. Bob was buried at Resurrection Cemetery with military graveside rites thanks to volunteers with the Delphos Veterans Council. We encourage friends and family to leave tributes online in the care of Weber Funeral Home. Those wishing to honor Bob may contribute to the St. John’s Parish Foundation or to the Robert and Grace Schulte Family Scholarship Fund at The Ohio State University.
