Robert Warren is being remembered as a benefactor for all of Berrien County. News of his death came Monday. The former LECO president was 88. Berrien County Board of Commissioners Chair Mac Elliott tells us Warren’s sale of Silver Beach to the county in the 1990s is a driver of the area’s growth to this day.
“He was an innovator in business, and LECO is a testament to that,” Elliott said. “As for county government, Silver Beach County Park is the jewel in the crown of the county parks system, and Bob made that happen, Bob and I wouldn’t want to forget Harry Gast, who was then chair of appropriations in the Senate.”
Warren is remembered as someone who tended to stay out of the spotlight, and Elliott says he spoke bluntly.
“He had a wry sense of humor, but he did not ever use it to slight anyone, and I think he was, at bottom, a humble guy, and his humility is also something that we can learn from.”
Silver Beach remains the county’s most visited attraction with 728,500 visitors last year. Elliott says Warren is an example of someone who lived a life full of achievement.
