Risley, Robert Frederick, completed his life’s journey here on earth on Jan. 27, 2019. Born Nov. 27, 1939 in Madison, WI and most recently a resident of Naples, FL. Bob enjoyed a blessed and wonderful life, living each day of his 79 years to the fullest.He was the son of the late Marion and Dorothy (Rennebohm) Risley of Madison, WI. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Audrey (Hebrer) Risley, his

He graduated from Madison West High School in 1958 and was a 1964 graduate of The University of Wisconsin with a Mechanical Engineering Degree. A leader in beverage engineering, Bob worked for Schlitz, Anheuser-Busch, and Pepsi among others and eventually owned and built his own company, Material Handling Systems (MHS) in Savage, MD before selling the business to Intralox, headquartered in New Orleans, LA in 2007.

Bob was a doer who liked to get involved, usually taking a leadership position. He was a past president of The International Society of Beverage Technologists, a past chairman of The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, and chairman of multiple professional committees. Being always curious, problem solving and possessing an infectious enthusiasm, Bob got involved in many interests: home brewing, car racing, car and firearm collecting, hunting, fishing and anything else that came along. If there was a club regarding any of those interests – he joined it, if there wasn’t, he’d start one. He loved “when a plan came together,” and never saw “problems,” only “opportunities,” constantly evaluating how things might be improved with a tweak here or a new approach there, acquiring over a dozen U.S. patents in the process.

He will be missed by his loving family, his PMMI friends, his car club buddies and his many friends he accumulated over the years. He will be remembered for his smile, his jokes and his many stories.

Bob leaves an empty spot in our hearts but he will be remembered by all who knew him. Cremation will be entrusted to The Beachwood Cremation Society, 4444 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, Florida. Services will be announced at a later date. Burial will be in Freeburg, IL. The family expresses its appreciation to the staff of Avow Hospice. Memorials can be made to Avow Hospice, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, FL