Robert Duane STADTLANDER

STADTLANDER, MASON, KARSTENS, LU, HENNIGAR, TERHARK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:55

December 29, 1942 ---- November 16, 2019

Robert “Bob” Duane Stadtlander was born on December 29, 1942, to Alfred and LaVonne (Mason) Stadtlander in Belmond, Iowa. He died November 16, 2019, surrounded by family following a massive heart attack.

Bob was the third of seven children. He enjoyed sports, working hard and helping others. After graduating from Belmond High School in 1961, he continued his education at Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska and later received a Master’s degree from Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri.

Bob grew up in Belmond, Iowa. Rob loved the freedom of playing outside with his siblings and friends. Rob was often seen riding his bike from one end of town to the other. He spent many summers on his uncle’s farm near Garner, Iowa. Cousins, aunts and uncles, and employers helped shape him into the man he became. Bob was a story-teller, and loved sharing stories with anyone that would listen. High school football was a highlight of his early years and he was named homecoming king.

Bob enjoyed family life. He and Judie had fun in their “before kid” adventures, including traveling to Europe and connecting with family in Germany. Bob loved being a dad, playing on the floor, telling stories and coaching softball, baseball and soccer. Bob and Judie shared their love of travel with the kids, taking them on many summer trips. Dirk and Jenny loved to go on errands with their dad, because they never knew where they would go. Whenever Dirk and Jenny or their spouses needed anything, he was only a phone call away. Bob’s grandkids had a special place in his heart and they called him Bumpa. They knew he was only a heartbeat away. Bob’s love for his family flowed freely. With retirement, Bob and Judie have enjoyed keeping in touch with family while spending more time with friends.

Bob was a life-long educator, teaching his entire career in the Iowa City Community School District. He was a shop teacher at Central Junior High for over a decade. During that time, he spent countless hours in the shop as students would finish up projects, especially during December so the students would have completed projects to give their families. Bob coached football, wrestling and track. Many of the relationships with students and the faculty and staff became enduring friendships.

Bob then began teaching high school Home Construction. Students from all of the area high schools would come together to learn to build. With his guidance the high school students built 23 homes in the Iowa City area. One year, in addition to the school home, Bob built the home where his family has resided since 1992 in his after school hours. Bob was often heard saying proudly, “All the houses I have built are still standing.” Out of town visitors would often get an impromptu tour of Bob’s student-built houses as he drove them around Iowa City, never going the same way twice. Bob always thought that Home Construction class would help anyone that wanted to own their own home someday.

Bob and his family have been active members of Christ the King and Zion Lutheran Churches since their arrival in Iowa City in 1967. Bob’s quiet, kind, presence at church would find him worshipping regularly, attending bible study, fixing things, taking food to the Crisis Center, greeting friends and visitors, and doing just about anything he was asked to do. The friendships made at church were a vital part of his life.

Bob lived life with a big smile on his face. He loved to play cribbage, and has taught all his grandchildren to play the game. He always tried for a “29 hand” but that goal was never accomplished. He did know all the cribbage lingo, “fifteen-two and the rest won’t do,” and fifteen-four and there ain’t no more.” (His wife helped him learn that ain’t ain’t a word.) For the past several years, Bob would get together with friends to play cribbage for the afternoon.

Bob also loved to be active and racquetball was his sport of choice (until his orthopedic surgeon told him no more racquetball). His wife always knew when it was time to get back in the racquetball court to blow off some steam so he could reset and be ready to face the day. He and his racquetball foes would chat after the games to sort out life.

Bob loved to tease and always did it with a big smile on his face. He loved to tickle people’s ankles to make them think a mouse was getting them. He loved to pretend electricity had zapped him, he had a special talent of “taking off” the end of of his index finger and then putting it back on, and he loved to tell people he had “dog jaw” and then bark to scare them when his face was touched. Judie has always known that she plays the third fiddle when it comes to dogs or cats and kids -- Bob was never too busy to stoop low and play with them.

Bob is a founding member of the Lake 5 Loon-a-Tick association. He went to the lake in Minnesota over 35 years with his family and friends. You would find him fishing with his kids and grandkids, drinking coffee while watching the loons, scouting for Batman the turtle, playing cards, cleaning fish, helping anyone else that needed help, and was always making sure everyone around him was having a good time.

Bob’s friends and family knew him as someone eager to help. Bob’s interactions with others throughout his life has made even a large community like Iowa City have a small town feel. He has woven a web of relationships, that gave his life meaning and joy. The web reaches around the world. Bob could find something to talk about with anyone, and often showed his love through teasing others.

Bob is survived by his “perfect” wife of 54 years, Judie (Karstens) Stadtlander; children Jennifer (Wayne) Lu and Dirk (Sarah) Stadtlander; grandchildren Brock, Braxton and Bella Lu, Eva and Ellen Katarina Stadtlander; siblings Tom (Karen) Stadtlander, Larry Stadtlander, Janet (Dennis) Hennigar, Jerry (Phyllis) Stadtlander, and Marilyn (John) TerHark; and many nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to count.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Richard Stadtlander; and sister-in-law, Pat Stadtlander.

A visitation will be at Lensing Funeral Home, Iowa City on Friday, November 22, from 4-7 pm. A funeral service will be at Zion Lutheran Church, 310 North Johnson, Iowa City at 10:00 am, Saturday, November 23, with burial to follow at Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bob Stadtlander Career Technical Program Fund through the Iowa City Community School District Foundation.

https://www.lensingfuneral.com/obituaries/Robert-Bob-Duane-Stadtlander?obId=9009995#/obituaryInfo