Dimondale, Michigan – The world feels heavier today. A light so fierce, so brilliant, so unapologetically her has left us—and the void is one that stretches deep across this industry and the hearts of all who knew and loved her. Bobbie Herron was more than just a leader. She was a force. A firestarter. A truth-teller. A soul-lifter. A real one.
To know Bobbie was to be seen by her. And if she loved you—and she probably did—you felt it every time she looked at you, spoke to you, challenged you, and most importantly, believed in you. Her confidence in others was not casual—it was deliberate. Strategic. Earnest. She saw what you couldn’t always see in yourself—and then she pushed you, held you accountable, and hyped you up until you believed it too.
“Go be who she convinced you, you could be.”
That phrase now rings with weight, memory, and love. Because we all heard it—or something like it—in Bobbie’s voice at one point. Whether you were in a meeting, on a call, sharing your fears, or chasing your dreams, she made it known: you were powerful, and she wasn’t going to let you settle for anything less than what you were capable of.
Bobbie’s impact wasn’t limited to the automotive industry, though that’s where many of us had the privilege of working beside her. She penetrated the hearts of so many—with her fire, her compassion, and her unshakable standards. She told you you were beautiful. She told you you were smart. She told you to stop doubting yourself. And when you messed up? She told you that too. Because Bobbie didn’t sugarcoat—she sharpened. And we’re all better for it.
A Fierce Encourager and a Relentless Truth-Teller
She knew how to fill your cup with words that healed, empowered, and motivated. Bobbie didn’t just uplift you—she equipped you. And she always kept it real. She wasn’t afraid to look you dead in the eyes and tell you where you were wasting your potential. That was part of her gift: she challenged mediocrity with love.
She would say, “Call me Bee.”
Simple. Unassuming. But full of meaning. Because being around Bobbie reminded us of what it meant to Be bold. Be authentic. Be excellent. Be loud. Be kind. Be unapologetic. Be the version of ourselves that she already saw in us.
And now, even in the grief, the heartbreak, and the disbelief of her passing, we’re left with one sacred task:
Honor her by becoming the very person she helped you believe you could be.
So cry, yes. Mourn, of course. This loss cuts deep. But then take that dream you were sitting on and go build it. Take that fear you’ve been feeding and starve it. Take that insecurity and drown it in the confidence she gave you. Bobbie didn’t pour all that belief into us for us to stay still.
Her Legacy Is Action
Bobbie didn’t live small. She didn’t encourage others to either. She lived loud, she loved hard, and she fought for the people around her with everything she had. That’s the kind of legacy that doesn’t die. It multiplies.
So to all of Bobbie’s friends, family, colleagues, and those who were changed by her presence—take the torch. Be the light. Call yourself to higher. Do the hard things. And go be who she convinced you, you could be.
Rest in power, Bobbie.
We’ll never forget. We’ll never stop being grateful. And we’ll never stop Be-ing.
R.I.P. Bobbie Herron.
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