Robert 'Bob' Johnson, 20 Feb 1938 - 15 Apr 2020

JOHNSON, ROWLEY, HOPKINS, HETH, STAHL

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 4/22/2020 at 13:22:06

Bob Johnson, 82, passed away on April 15th. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

He is survived by Brent (Teri) of Indian Wells, CA; Brad of Clayton, IA; and Jana (Keith Rowley) of Manchester, IA. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews that were near and dear to his heart. Bob is also survived by a sister Kathryn (Darwin) Hopkins of Ankeny.

His parents, sister Ruby Jean and brother Tom preceded him in death.

Bob was born in Waukon, IA on February 20, 1938, and graduated from Fayette H.S. in 1956. He was proud to have earned 13 sports letters & a football scholarship to play for Upper Iowa where he graduated in 1959. He started his career teaching school & coaching football & track at Allison-Bristow & twice at North High School in West Union. He played on an undefeated team in Fayette but also coached undefeated teams in both Marengo & West Union with his 1964 team going undefeated and never playing a home game while having to practice on the airport runway while a new field was being built.

Business was always in Bob's blood. While he was teaching, he started a sports slogan company where he sold slogan cards for sports teams throughout the U.S. After he left coaching other business endeavors were; Sales Manager for H & H Distributors of West Union, a buyer for Daytons Dept. Stores, President of Quarterback Sports & Leisure stores and spent 23 years as President of Pharmaceutical Innovators, Ltd. A manufacture of pill counting machines sold throughout the world located in West Union.

Bob married Maureen Heth in 1957 in Fayette, Iowa. They later divorced. In 1994 he married Cynthia Stahl of Decorah & was in business for 12 years in Branson, MO. He later divorced and since has lived primarily in Indian Wells, CA. until moving to Manchester in 2017.

Published in The Gazette on April 16, 2020