Robert “Bob” John Ochsendorf, lifelong musician, entrepreneur, self-described “motorhead,” artist, and loyal friend to countless people passed away peacefully in the early hours of January 23 after an illness. 

Born to Eugene and Ann (née DeLucia) Ochsendorf in Steubenville, Ohio, Bob moved to Whitehall with his family in 1962 and graduated from Whitehall-Yearling High School (Class of 1970). Bob was a talented guitar player and active in the central Ohio music scene for over five decades. He started playing piano, guitar, and anything he could get his hands on as a young boy. In junior high he and friends formed a band, Lapse of Tyme, which by high school had its own fan club, touring van, and multiple Battle of the Band wins and performances on the Jerry Rasor Dance Party. Bob later performed with other local rock bands including Tumbleweed, Sixshooter, and Livestock.

He continued performing guitar professionally in the early 1970s, including touring with country songwriter Chuck Howard and spending time in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Nashville. When he returned home in the mid 1980s, he joined The Hipnotics, a classic rock and R&B band that delighted audiences in central Ohio for decades. Known for his skill, versatility, and passion for lead guitar, Bob’s musical legacy is remembered by fellow musicians and fans alike as part of Ohio’s rich music history. Bob also did session work and recorded in LA with Bruce Lowe for Cinema Show Music and multiple artists’ records.

His father started a promotional advertising company, the E.R. Ochsendorf Company. Later, Bob took over the business which became known as Ochsendorf Promotions and grew the company considerably in the 1980s and ‘90s. Bob earned a reputation for creativity and careful attention to customers in the specialty advertising industry. 

Throughout his life, Bob had an uncanny ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds. He had a wild sense of adventure and humor, and he delighted in catching friends and colleagues with practical jokes. Bob was a compassionate friend who actively supported local charities such as Friends of VFW Post 8794 and Knights of Columbus in Whitehall, and the nonprofit Music Has Healing Power created by his friend and fellow musician Bruce Lowe to bring music and sound to people in need suffering from chronic illness. Bob understood that music truly does have healing power. He was also a lifelong collector and tinkerer who loved rebuilding classic Cadillacs.

Bob shared a close bond with his mother Ann M. Ochsendorf, who often went to hear him perform, and his siblings, including his beloved sister Lynn Ochsendorf, WYHS 1973, who preceded him in death. Bob is survived by his older brother, Gene Ochsendorf, WYHS 1967  (Elkins, WV), many nieces and nephews, and numerous close friends who will remember him through the music he played, the work he built, and the lives he forever changed with his generosity, warm spirit, and infectious love for life.

As Bob’s health deteriorated in recent years he never lost his sense of humor, telling family and friends that “This woulda killed a normal man!” In typical Bob fashion, among his last sentences to family were “I finally figured out what is going on,” and “I love you.” 

The family is planning a memorial service for later in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Music Has Healing Power, https://www.musichashealingpower.org and the Ohio State School for the Blind Foundation, https://www.ossbfoundation.org/ in honor of his friends.

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