Class of 1942 | Maxwell High School
Robert (Bob) Willits’ class at Maxwell High School was exceedingly small by today’s standard. As was the case for many schools, particularly rural schools prior to school consolidations, having ten or twelve classmates was fairly common. In 1942 Bob, along with his classmates, graduated amidst a world at war at the young age of 17. He was drafted following high school and valiantly served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Staff Sergeant from 1943 to 1946. He served in Company B, 68th armored Infantry Battallion and earned a Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars.
Upon returning to Greenfield after the war, Bob began his career as a builder. He became a prominent and very well-respected custom home builder in Greenfield. He worked hard and over the course of 60 years, built his company, Willits Construction, LLC, into a reputable builder whose name, even to this day, is synonymous with quality and a selling point of realtors for homes being marketed. People greatly enjoyed working with Bob. It is a testament to his character, skill and finished product that many people wanted him to construct for them second and third homes. Willits Construction built well over 300 homes during Bob’s tenure before he retired at the age of 85. Other notable projects included the H.J. Ricks Center for the Arts (Weil Theater) as well as extensive work for Greenfield Banking Company.
Bob’s energy was also focused on his family and his community. Although Bob could not go to college himself due to being drafted, education was particularly important to him. He was a life-long learner and he helped instill the importance of education into his children and grandchildren. He and wife Norine’s children (all three of whom went to Greenfield-Central High School) and all nine of his grandchildren (six also went to Greenfield-Central High School) are college graduates. He valued the education he and his family received and, in turn, was very active in his support of the schools for many years.
Bob’s humble and soft-spoken nature would make him defer any accolades sent his way, but so many in the Greenfield community believe that his character, exemplary citizenship and positive role modeling should be honored. Personally and professionally Bob was an extremely hard working man (evidenced by his long career) who firmly believed that a little hard work was good for everyone!
Bob was proud to be a part of the Hancock County community. A charter member of Maxwell United Methodist Church where Bob served as a Trustee, he was later a member of Trinity Park United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the American Legion of Greenfield. Bob was a farmer, an avid Purdue fan, and he loved his family.