Obituary
Robert G. Liggett, Jr. 76 years old, passed away on Friday July 12, 2019 after a short courageous battle with pancreatic cancer with his family at his side.
Born on January 23, 1943 in Beaumont, Texas, Bob lived in Michigan most of his life. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 31 years, Victoria, his daughters Maureen Fettes (Ron deceased), Emily Philpot (Nick), Marjorie Liggett (John Slocum), and Roberta Liggett O’Malley (Devin). He also leaves behind a brother David Liggett (Laura) from Houston, Texas, sister Roberta McNeilly from Williamsfield, Ohio, 4 grandchildren Rebecca, Ashten, Nicole, and Mitchell from Williamston, MI and one grandchild on the way, a niece and nephew from Texas and Ecuador. Predeceased were his parents and one nephew from Arizona.
Bob founded Liggett Broadcast Group in 1970 following his graduation from law school in 1969 from Wayne State University. He practiced law “for about a week” and decided to stay with the radio business he loved since childhood. The business, headquartered in Lansing, became the state’s largest radio broadcast group. The company owned as many as 29 AM/FM stations in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, New York and California. In 2000, Bob sold the company to Citadel Communications Corporation.
Starting at age 14, Bob worked his way through high school and college with jobs for Detroit broadcasters such as Capital Cities Communications (WJR), ABC Companies (WXYZ, AM and FM), and Storer Broadcasting Company (WJBK AM and FM TV). Additionally, Bob was the public address announcer for the Detroit Red Wings from 1963 to 1971 at Olympia Stadium.
Bob still owns five radio stations serving the Port Huron area. He was the owner and Chairman of Big Boy Restaurants International, LCC from 2000 to 2018. Bob was the owner and publisher of The Grosse Pointe News from 2007 to 2017.
In 2001, Bob founded Speed Net, LLC, a provider of wireless high-speed modem service. From its headquarters in Frankenmuth, Michigan the company served thousands of households in rural areas of Michigan and was sold in 2009 to Sprint.
In 2010 Bob founded Speed Connect, LLC also providing wireless high- speed modem services to several states including Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, and South Dakota. He sold the company to Sprint in 2018.
Bob was involved in many philanthropic endeavors. The Liggett Breast Center at the Van Elslander Cancer Center, Beyond Basics a literacy reading program based in several Detroit elementary schools, The Holly Ear Institute, The Children’s Center of Detroit, and many other programs and causes.
Bob is a member of The Old Club (past commodore), the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, The Country Club of Detroit, The Detroit Athletic Club and The Hundred Club of Detroit.
Bob has served on the Foundation Board of The Detroit Historical Society, The Wayne State University Foundation, The Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, Focus Hope, The Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation and St. John Hospital Foundation. Bob also has been a member of the Michigan State Bar Association since 1969.
His family and the many friends that he made throughout his lifetime will dearly miss Bob Liggett.
Visitation hours will be on Thursday July 25 from 3pm-8pm, at the A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Ave. Grosse Pointe Woods, MI.
Funeral Service will be held on Friday July 26 at 11:00am, at the Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church, 211 Moross Rd. Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the following local charities.
Liggett Breast Center- 19229 Mack Ave. # 31, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236
Beyond Basics- 18000 W. Nine Mile Rd. Southfield MI 48075
The Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan- 26777 Halsted Rd. Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48331
The Hundred Club of Detroit- P.O. Box 1018, Fenton, MI 48430
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Robert Liggett, Jr., please visit our Tribute Store.
(Photo credit: A. H. Peters)
Source: A.H. Peters Funeral Home https://www.ahpeters.com/obituary/Robert-G.-Liggett-Jr./Grosse-Pointe-Shores-Michigan/1852376
Radio entrepreneur, former Big Boy owner Robert Liggett dies
- Longtime radio station owner bought Big Boy chain in 2000
- Long career in the radio industry led to Michigan lifetime achievement in 1999
- He also invested in, owned and/or sold software companies, St. Clair Shores theater, internet provider, Grosse Pointe News
Radio station entrepreneur and former Big Boy restaurant chain owner Robert Liggett Jr. died Friday at 76, according to an obituary.
Liggett, a Grosse Pointe Shores resident and businessman with an array of interests, had pancreatic cancer.
Liggett was born in 1943 in Beaumont, Texas, and lived most of his life in Michigan. He began working at a radio station at age 14, gearing up for a long career that led to a Michigan Association of Broadcasters lifetime achievement award in 1999.
Liggett bought the 455-restaurant chain Big Boy and most other assets of Elias Bros. Restaurants Inc. out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2000 for $24.8 million and soon began consolidating its fractured franchise operations to pursue consistency and growth, Crain’s reported. He was owner and chairman of Warren-based Big Boy Restaurants International LLC until 2018, when he sold to a group of local investors. As of that year, Big Boy operated and franchised 84 Big Boy, Bob’s Big Boy and Big Boy’s Burgers and Shakes restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, California and North Dakota.
He also bought The Shores Theatre in St. Clair Shores in 2004, citing sentimentality as part of the reason in a 2005 Crain’s interview. He said that in the 1950s he and his brother would get a quarter each to spend Saturday afternoons there.
Liggett also bought the Grosse Pointe News in 2007 and sold it to the founders of bimonthly Grosse Pointe Magazine in 2017. And he was an investor in software companies and alternative fuel, and founded high-speed internet provider SpeedNet LLC, Crain’s reported. SpeedNet sold to Sprint in 2009.
He was also the Detroit Red Wings’ public address announcer from 1963-71, according to the obituary.
He was philanthropically involved with organizations including the Liggett Breast Center at the Van Elslander Cancer Center in Grosse Pointe Woods, Detroit literacy nonprofit Beyond Basics and the Children’s Center of Detroit. He served on boards of the Detroit Historical Society, Wayne State University Foundation, St. John Hospital Foundation and others.
He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Victoria; daughters Maureen Fettes, Emily Philpot, Marjorie Liggett and Roberta Liggett O’Malley; four grandchildren; brother David Liggett; and sister Roberta McNeilly.
Source: Crain’s Detroit Business https://www.crainsdetroit.com/obituaries/radio-entrepreneur-former-big-boy-owner-robert-liggett-dies
LISTEN: Bob Layne (Robert Liggett, Jr.) on WJBK Radio 1500, Saturday, January 11, 1964
