Robert E. “Bob” Shank
SHANK, NEWHEW, CONWELL, KEHOE, GIANNINI, MEKOTA, ALLGOOD, OBRIEN, MELLECKER, FARFAN, VESELY
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 4/4/2016 at 09:31:31
Robert E. “Bob” Shank, 76, lifelong Iowa City resident, died on Saturday, March 26, 2016 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from complications of a cerebral hemorrhage.
His family will greet friends Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at The Kirkwood Room, 513 Kirkwood Avenue in Iowa City, with a time of sharing beginning at 6:30 pm. Instead of flowers and plants, memorials may be directed to the Robert Shank Memorial Fund.
On July 3, 1939, in Iowa City, Orville and Ruby (Nephew) Shank welcomed into the world, a baby boy – Robert Eugene Shank. Growing up in Iowa City, Bob graduated from Iowa City High School in 1958, where he lettered in football, track and wrestling. At age 10, he obtained a job at Jones Service Station on the corner of Madison & Burlington Streets in downtown Iowa City, where he did a little bit of everything – washing cars, pumping gas, shuffling cars in the parking lot of the station and ultimately, was promoted to changing tires.
At that time, the service station was quite busy and was open “all night” as the station was located on the route of one of only two highways that passed through Iowa City – state Highway 1 and Highway 6.
He graduated from Iowa City High School in 1958. The next year, Bob married Alice Conwell in Iowa City. The couple later divorced. Bob then married Donna Kehoe in August of 1980 in Iowa City.
Bob graduated from the Sun Oil Company management training school in 1963 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. For 18 years, he owned and operated Shanks DX Service stations in Coralville and the Rochester Avenue station in Iowa City. Bob later worked for the Iowa City Community School District as a vehicle and equipment mechanic for 11 years. Bob was reluctantly forced to retire in 1994 due to a serious illness which prevented him from working.
He was a former member of the Knights of Columbus Marquette Council, Sertoma Club, Iowa City Junior Chamber of Commerce and was a passionate motor cross and hill climb racing enthusiast – which yielded Bob many trophies.
In 1994, Bob's good friend Jim Schultz gave him a 1969 BSA 441 Victor Special. They were known as leg breakers because of the kickstart. After spending many years restoring the motorcycle, he listed it for sale. His grandson, Ryan, saw it on Craigslist, and the Mekota family then purchased it. His daughter, Beth, worked with the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa to have this unique piece of history donated in honor of Bob.
In retirement, Bob was devoted to taking morning walks and always carried and happily dispensed dog treats to the lucky dogs along his walking route. If you asked Bob, he kept the best lawn on Southlawn Drive.
Bob is survived by his wife Donna; his 5 daughters, Sara Shank of Iowa City, Kate (Ryan) Giannini of Riverside; Beth (Jeff) Mekota of North Liberty, Debbie (Troy) Allgood of Wind Lake, Wisconsin and Katherine (Mike) O’Brien of Coralville; a sister Janet Mellecker of Morrow, Ohio; grandsons, Easton and Nolan Giannini, Lance and Ryan Mekota, Matt and Nick Allgood and Angel Adam Farfan; his mother in law, Guenn Kehoe of Iowa City, several brothers and sisters in law, many nieces and nephews and a step-aunt, Phylis Vesely of Iowa City.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Jim and his wife Pinky, a brother in law, Kenneth “Red” Mellecker, step-father, Floyd Vesely, a nephew Seth Kehoe and niece Heather Shank.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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