Robert Francis Devine, the husband of Virginia (Vogt) Devine and father of Mary Kay Devine passed away peacefully on Friday night, September 27 at St. Pauls House in Chicago, IL. Mr. Devine had experienced a period of swift decline following a series of falls in the past month. He was 92 years old.

Bob, as he was affectionately known, grew up on a farm in Deer Grove, Illinois. He was the last of eight children born to William and Catherine Devine, on August 1, 1927. When the doctor who assisted in the home birth finished his work, he patted Catherine on the shoulder and said, "Catherine, I think this is your last one and it's on me! We'll call it an RFD - Rural Free Delivery!" Thus, Robert Francis Devine crafted his very first story in the moments after his birth.

Bob was a precocious child, a quick learner and good athlete. He started out in a one-room school house and advanced quickly to Catholic Community High School in Sterling, IL where he played shortstop on the baseball team and attracted the interest of scouts from the St. Louis Cardinals. Bob was also a boxer, a Golden Gloves champion. He played football as well, until a nasty tackle left him with a broken leg, which ended the gridiron career of the wide receiver they called, "The Galloping Gazelle."

After high school, Bob worked with his father and older brother Leo on the family farm that was in the Devine family for sixty-six years. Bob greatly enjoyed farming, but he had ambitions beyond the tractor. He always had a deep passion for learning, and pursued varied interests in the areas of church history, theology and politics. Bob greatly desired to advance his education, and leaders of the Rockford Diocese of the Catholic Church recognized his gifts. They sponsored his post-secondary education, first at Salvatorian College in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin and later at Mount St. Mary College and Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Bob graduated with a degree in philosophy from Mount St. Mary in 1951 and was accepted into the graduate program there, where he studied theology, education, psychology and business administration. He learned Greek, Hebrew, and Latin and developed a skill set as a counselor and administrator that served him well in his ministry.

Robert Francis Devine was ordained to Christian ministry by the Archdiocese of Rockford on May 3, 1955. He served faithfully as a Roman Catholic Priest for more than 20 years, leading parishes in Crystal Lake, Galena, Rochelle, Sycamore, and Rockford, among others. As a priest, Bob faithfully administered the sacraments of the church, and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, but he didn't stop there. He used his training in psychology to serve as a counselor to those troubled by addiction, mental illness and any number of afflictions. Bob proved his mettle as an administrator, leading fundraising campaigns to build schools, hospitals and church buildings. He always had a heart for the poor and vulnerable, and was recognized in 1966 as the Citizen of the Year in Rochelle, IL for his interfaith work organizing a Human Relations Commission that advocated for migrant workers toiling in the fields around Rochelle. Bob was a beloved priest and an invaluable member of every community he served.

As proud as he was to serve the church as a priest, Bob probably took greater joy in one of his other titles, that being Uncle Bob. As the baby of the family, the dynamic young man was a much sought after visitor in the homes of the Reiland, Jensen, Mitchell, and McDonnell families. He was the dynamic, learned, and beloved Uncle Bob - a combination coach, teacher, and friend to his many nieces and nephews. When his dear sister Mary Eileen's husband died suddenly in the early sixties, Bob became a surrogate father for the ten (TEN!) boys left in her care. The bond he established with the Jensen boys and his dear, dear sister Mary Eileen, lasted a lifetime, up to and after her passing in 2013.

In 1974, Father Devine was assigned to serve St. Peter Catholic Church in South Beloit, IL. He organized a parish council and once again led a successful fundraising campaign to expand the church's programs and buildings. While serving at St. Peter, a teacher in the parish school named Virginia Ann Vogt, soon became a close friend and confidant. Virginia was from Hamilton, Ohio and had served the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as an English teacher at schools throughout the Midwest. Bob and Virginia eventually became more than friends. How else can we say it, but they fell in love! A beautiful, fantastic, forbidden, but undeniable, love! Together, they made the courageous decision to leave their orders as a priest and nun, to answer a new call to become a married couple and start a family. They followed all the right protocols, received their dispensation from Pope Paul VI, and were married on January 21, 1976.

The new chapter in the life of Robert Devine took shape in Rockford, Illinois, the city that Bob and Virginia called home for more than 40 years. Bob used his charm and wit, and his get up and go, to start a new career as a salesman. He went door-to-door with Electrolux vacuum cleaners, sold insurance policies, and worked as a real estate agent—all to provide for his family. Bob and Virginia remained faithful Catholics, eventually settling in as regular members of St. Rita's parish in Rockford.

On August 14, 1976, the Devine Team added a third member, when their daughter, Mary Catherine Devine, was born. To say that Mary Kay was the sun and the moon and the stars to Bob and Virginia would be an understatement. She was, in Bob's own words, their "treasure from heaven." At the age of 49, Robert Francis Devine had earned another title, one he would cherish until his dying days, that of father. He was now truly, Father Devine! Bob drove Mary Kay to school, opened up cans of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup for breakfast when she turned her nose up at oatmeal, and became the epitome of a doting and devoted dad. Bob and Virginia's house on Buttercup Lane in Mulford Wildwoods became the center of social life for Mary Kay and her many friends.

As dear as Mary Kay was to Bob, he also was able to exercise great restraint and let her lead the life that she was called to live. When Mary Kay was in college, one of her guy friends enlisted her help in selling the artwork of Jerry Garcia on a tour with the remaining members of the Grateful Dead. She tells of the moment her dad dropped her off at O'Hare airport and watched her get into a motor home with a bunch of hippies to travel around the United States selling pictures from a tent outside of the concerts. Bob may have had his heart in his throat as he said goodbye to his little girl, but he didn't break a sweat. That's just the kind of man he was.

After graduating from Loyola University, Mary Kay fell into a career as a union organizer. On one of her first campaigns, she invited her parents to the Clothing Worker's Union Hall on Ashland Avenue to watch her in action and to offer a prayer with the workers, which Bob and Virginia gladly did. While with the union, Mary Kay met her own companion and confidant, the dynamic Director of Organizing, Jason Coulter. They were married at St. Rita's Catholic Church in Rockford on June 7, 2003 and though he was sick as a dog, Bob beamed the whole day through.

Jason and Mary Kay gave Bob and Virginia four grandchildren, Lucille (b. 2004), Charles (b.2008) and twin girls, Cecilia and Eleanor (b.2013). That Bob would one day be able to look upon his grandchildren at play in the kiddie pool in the backyard of their home on Buttercup Lane, must have seemed to him to be a minor miracle. He cherished every moment with his progeny and delighted in all their antics.

In 2016, Bob and Virginia made the difficult, but thoughtful, decision to sell their home in Rockford and move to Chicago to be closer to Mary Kay and their family. Through the good graces of the United Church of Christ, they found a home in the assisted living wing of St. Pauls House. Bob and Virginia became vital members of the St. Pauls House community, making many friends, and establishing a new church home at St. Benedict's Parish.

While at St. Pauls House, Bob was thrilled to watch his Chicago Cubs win a World Series. A first in his long lifetime! He was a man of tremendous kindness and quick wit. He was forever with an Irishman's glint in his smiling eyes. He will be dearly missed.

A few final sayings familiar to those who knew and loved Bob Devine…

"It's not rain! I call it liquid sunshine!"

"You have to accept people for who they are, not who you want them to be!"

"Enjoy the good days and take the bad ones as they come."

And one of his favorite greetings, "Top o' the mornin' to you!"

Arrangements for the funeral are as follows:

Friday, October 4th at St. Paul's House at 3800 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
9:30 a.m. Pay respects to the family, view photos, and share memories
10:30 a.m. Catholic funeral mass
11:30 a.m. Cookies, coffee, and conversation

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the St. Pauls House Foundation to support their Benevolent and Spiritual Care. https://www.stpaulshouse.org/copy-of-donate. Since 1892, no resident of this community has been asked to leave because their financial resources have been exhausted. Bob and Virginia had outlived their resources and were grateful for the support of the Foundation to stay at St. Pauls. On the donation form, designate the gift to the St Pauls House campus and for Benevolent and Spiritual Care.