Robert (Bob) Parenti was born in Chicago in 1925 and was raised in Kenosha,  Wisconsin. A World War II veteran, he enlisted in the US Army in 1943 upon  graduation from high school. Landing in Cherbourg, France six weeks after D Day, he served with the 8th Armored Division at the Battle of the Bulge, for  which he received the French Legion of Honor Medal.

Upon his return from Europe, he married Laurie Sullivan of Grosse Pointe, MI,  whom he had met at a USO dance. He completed his education with benefits  under the G.I. Bill and, in 1951, graduated from the Detroit College of Law,  which has since merged with Michigan State University College of Law, and  began a general small-town law practice in Pontiac, MI. He grew his humble  practice as attorney for multiple towns, served on the local bank board, and was admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar in 1958.

In 1965 he was elected to serve as President of the Oakland County Bar  Association and to the Board of the State Bar of Michigan in 1978. He was  also appointed by President Lyndon Johnson as Chairman of the Oakland  County Selective Service System where he served for 10 years.

He and Laurie raised four children in Michigan, and eventually, as an avid  boater and fisherman, he planned his semi-retirement in Florida. He moved to  Stuart in 1980 after being admitted to the Florida Bar. In 1985 he joined Willie  Gary and Lorenzo Williams, noted Florida trial attorneys, and formed the  litigation law firm of Gary, Williams & Parenti. For the next 20 years the team  engaged in numerous major civil trials throughout the country. He self published a book about those trials called "The Giant Killers."

Robert wrote a second book based on letters he wrote as a young soldier in 1943-44. Laurie had saved the letters over the years and their re-discovery inspired a book about his wartime experiences and he and Laurie's love story, titled "A Story of Love and War."

After Laurie's passing in 2013, Bob started his next chapter with widowed friend Bobbie Spilman, who became a beloved companion through his later years.

He is survived by daughter Christine, sons Robert Jr., and David, and grandchildren Jill, Joel and Jonathan.

At the families request in lieu of flowers for those who wish contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org or USO at uso.org .

Please feel free to share a remembrance or message of condolence with the family through this online guestbook.