Robert W. "Bob" Quesal

Robert W. "Bob" Quesal passed away unexpectedly at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on January 14, 2025. He was born in Yonkers, NY on May 16, 1952 to John and Anne (Matland) Quesal, who preceded him in death. 
Bob grew up in Yonkers, and remained deeply loyal to the New York Yankees for the rest of his life. He moved to Bloomington, IN when he was in junior high. He attended Indiana University, earning a BA and MA in Speech-Language Pathology, specializing in stuttering research and therapy. After working in nursing homes in Tennessee, he returned to the University of Iowa, where he received a Ph.D. in Speech-Language Pathology in 1984. He taught at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks and State University of New York at Plattsburgh before being hired at Western Illinois University in Macomb in 1991. During his years in the Communication Sciences and Disorders department at WIU, he earned the rank of full professor and served as the Program Director for Speech Pathology. He retired from WIU in 2014. 
His work in the field of stuttering extended far beyond WIU-he was an active member of the National Stuttering Association and a co-author of the OASES (Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering) assessment tool, which transformed the way both the impact of stuttering and the success of stuttering therapy were measured. Despite his stature in the field, he rarely mentioned his accomplishments and tended to be self-effacing when anyone else brought them up. The impact he had on his students, colleagues, and clients during the course of his life, however, was massive.  
He is survived by his wife, Donna Quesal; his children, Susan Quesal (Martín Rivera) of Austin, TX and David (Rana) Quesal of Macomb; his grandson Gryffen Quesal of Macomb; his sister Joan (Eddie) Bass of Nashville, TN; his brother John (Linda) Quesal of Fountain Hills, AZ; and four nieces and nephews. 
 A celebration of life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Macomb at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 1, 2025 with a lunch reception to follow at Chubby's, which was Bob's favorite place. Pastor Renee Whitaker will officiate. 

You can watch the funeral on YouTube at (https://firstpresmacomb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=efo37e3b2ad5f63bae11ed014id=53898aa3-ba&e=9e075b458b)
 In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the New Shelter Building Campaign for the Humane Society of McDonough County (https://www.hsmcil.org/building-campaign/) or to the National Stuttering Association (https://www.westutter.org/donate-to-the-nsa). 
 Clugston-Tibbitts Funeral Home in Macomb is in charge of arrangements.
 You may leave condolences and sign the guest book online at clugston-tibbitts.com.
 

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