Smith, Robert L. “Bob” 1916-2007

SMITH, VAN DUSSELDORP, WULFING, HOUGH, NAGLER, NICHOLSON, COLLINGS, RICHARD

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 11/12/2007 at 19:55:28

Robert L. “Bob” Smith of Park Centre in Newton, died on Saturday evening, Aug. 18, 2007, at his home. Memorials to the Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America or Park Center Good Samaritan Endowment Fund are suggested. The interment of the cremains will be held at a later date. The Pence-Reese Funeral Home of Newton has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Bob, the fourth child of William W. and Nell V. (Van Dusseldorp) Smith, was born Nov. 20, 1916, in Newton. He was a graduate of the Newton Senior High, class of 1934 and from Iowa State University in Ames, class of 1939. Bob was united in marriage with Katharine Wulfing on June 17, 1939, in Chicago, Ill., and worked for Montgomery Ward in Chicago until Feb. 11, 1941, when he entered the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant.

He served his country during World War II, stationed at Ft. Sill, Okla., Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., Yuma, Ariz., Hawaii, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Ft. Bragg, N.C. from where he was discharged Jan. 28, 1946, as a Major.

Following the war, he returned to Newton, and with his brother Tom founded Thombert Inc. He retired from Thombert in 1980 following his election as Mayor of Newton, November 1979. He was reelected for three terms and refused to run for a fifth term. He and Katharine moved to Homestead, Fla., in 1988, but continued to return to Newton each summer, until Oct. 2001 when they returned to Newton permanently.

During Bob’s adult years he was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Newton Masonic Lodge and Elks Lodge BPOE #1270 in Newton. He served as President of the Newton High School Alumni Association, Newton Chamber of Commerce, Newton Industries Club, Newton Country Club, Tall Corn Area Council Boy Scouts of America, Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America, and Polyurethane Manufacturers Association. He also served as a director of CIRAS, Iowa Manufacturers Association, and Caster & Floor Truck Manufacturers.

Bob is survived by his son, Walter (Sibyl) of Newton; his daughter Katharine (David) Hough of Bellevue, Wash.; four grandchildren, Elizabeth (Fred) Nagler of Kalamazoo, Mich., Lara Nicholson of Glenview, Ill., Margaret (Jeff) Collings of Devon, England, and William (Zoraida) Smith of Pella; and six great-grandchildren, Brendan, Katharine Kes, and Eliot Nagler, Alena, William, and Anna Nicholson.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife of 67 years, Katharine “Kay” on Jan. 5, 2007; his sister, St. Clair Richard; and his two brothers: C. William Smith and Thomas R. Smith.

Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007, at the First Presbyterian Church in Newton. A time of fellowship and lunch with the family will be held following those services.

The Newton (IA) Daily News, Tuesday, August 21, 2007