Robert J. "Bob" Rezek
August 31, 2012
Robert J. “Bob” Rezek, 66, of West Des Moines, died at home Friday, August 31, of cancer.
Bob was born November 1, 1945, to Florence and Joseph Rezek in Omaha, NE. Bob studied English and played varsity baseball at Creighton University, where he met Susan Tell, and they were married in Omaha on December 9, 1967. After completing his English degree, Bob served honorably as an officer in the United States Army. Following a move to Des Moines, Bob taught English and coached baseball and golf at Dowling Catholic High School for 3½ years, after which he began his career as an account executive with Holmes Murphy & Associates, where he worked for 27 years. He continued his career in school employee benefits with ISEBA until retiring in 2008.
Bob was a loving, caring and supportive husband, dad, grandpa, son, brother, uncle and friend to so many. He had a deep faith in God and devotion to the Catholic Church. Bob was also an avid fan of fishing, baseball, reading, camping, golf, horseshoes, coffee and donuts. He had wonderful wit and was famous for his humorous one-liners.
He will be greatly missed by his mother, Florence Rezek; his wife of 44 years, Susan; his son, David (Lori) Rezek; daughters, Ann (Shane) Kramer and Liz (Jonah) Krause; grandchildren, Holden and Gabriella Kramer, Jasmine Carter, Sophia Rezek, Hayden Krause, and Seth and Julian Rezek; sisters, Carol (Roger) Jacobs and Virginia Olberding; brothers, Charles Rezek and Anthony (Megan) Rezek; mother-in-law, V. Jane Tell; and extended family and friends.
Bob was preceded in death by his father, Joseph S. Rezek; his father-in-law, Joseph M. Tell; and his brother-in-law, Paul A. Olberding.
Visitation will be held from 5-7 pm, followed by a wake service at 7 pm on Monday, September 3, at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 am, on Tuesday, September 4, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 7075 Ashworth Road, with burial to follow at Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines.
Memorial contributions may be directed to DMARC Food Pantries, or Beaverdale Little League.
Online condolences may be expressed at:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com
Gary and Kay Aitchison
09/12/2012
Sue, So sorry to learn of Bob"s passing. We have such fond memories of our time in CFM together. Without CFM we would never have met wonderful folks like the two of you. May God be with you and your family.
Laure Guisinger
09/05/2012
Funny how our paths crossed. Bob was my teacher at Dowling in 1973 and then our paths crossed again when I began working at HMA in 1999. He was a great guy....so kind...and made me feel comfortable in my new job! I had never gotten my senior yearbook and when Bob left HMA he gave me his. I then occassionally ran into Bob & his family at mass at Sacred Heart. So while you don't know me, I wanted you to know that Bob touched a lot of lifes, including mine. He had a beautiful soul.
JoAnn Kruntorad Niemann
09/04/2012
We l lost a wonderful person. Our Kruntorad Family offers our condolences to Bob's Family. So glad he attended the 50th Reunion of Sts. Peter & Paul School. There he had his classic humor & smiles that will be our last memory. He really was the boy next door & a big part of our childhood. Do hope he didn't have to suffer long. My husband & family were vacationing otherwise I would have come to pay my final respects. We were l better for having known him.
Our Sympathy,
JoAnn Kruntorad Niemann
Eileen Miller
09/04/2012
My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Cherish all the great memories you have of your times together.
Terri Peterson
09/04/2012
Bob was a warm, caring many who always found a way to make you smile. His "magic ball game" performed gleefully at family gatherings made us laugh and cheer and laugh some more.
I hope there a paper lunch bags in heaven!
May your memories bring you comfort. Love to all
Kay Bosiljevac-Schneider
09/03/2012
I was so sad to here of Bob's passing. As a young man he was close to all of us. Michael, my husband, thought the world of him. Now together in heaven, they will be catching up. They were both men of faith, and I'm sure the Lord welcomed Bob to heaven with Michael. To all of his family I send our prayers.
Marlene White
09/03/2012
Susan & Ann
I am thinking of you and your families and lifting you up in prayer.
Ruth Blevins
09/03/2012
Our thoughts and prayers to your family. Very sorry for your loss. Ruth and Chester Blevins
Mary Ellen (Bosiljevac) Mangiamelli
09/03/2012
I will never forget Bob and how much his friendship was cherished by my brother Mike. They were the proverbial "two peas in a pod". I was so saddened to hear of Bob's passing but I know Mike will be there to welcome him in heaven. The two buddies together again. My heartfelt sympathies to the entire family. God Bless You!
Tom Jacobs
09/03/2012
There will never be another one like him. My uncle Bob was one of the funniest guys I ever met...I remember hanging out with him over the Christmas holidays, sometimes in the garage where I would be nibbling on the sarma or strudel that Grandma made and left out for people like me to nibble on (this was when I was a kid, say, from 8 to around 16...before I went off to college and seeing all the family became more difficult for some reason).
I have a vivid memory of him telling me and my uncle Tony a joke about a guy who bought a really nice suit that didn't fit him very well (that's why it was cheap), and the guy having to walk around kinda stooped over and holding the crotch of the pants in order for the suit to fit. So the guy would walk down the street in his fancy suit, all hunched over and grabbing cinching up his pant legs. The punchline had something to do with a passerby who saw his suit and his strange posture and gait and said something like, "geez, I don't know what's wrong with that guy, but what a great suit." Maybe you had to be there, but I giggled for probably ten minutes, and I'm still giggling now. He would have told the whole thing far better than I ever could.
I loved him very much, and my thoughts and prayers radiate out from here in Brooklyn to Sue and the rest of the family. I love you all very much, and you are very much in my thoughts.
There will never be another one like him, and he will be deeply and profoundly missed. All the love in the world.
Mike Martin
09/03/2012
Sue;
Anne and I want to express our deepest sympathy to you and your family. Bob was a friend when I first meet him at Creighton Prep. He had a natural humility that spoke of a deep faith. His humor was appropiate for the Jesuits, because all you could get out was one line before they hit you. I noted that the remberance did not mention his perfect game he threw for Prep. I remember our times in the smoking room in the library at Creighton and our trip to see Dion Warrick at Cherry Hill NJ. Anne told me that you were only other pregnant lady that could eat pickles and liverwurst with her. We will remember Bob for those times and others.... We will miss him for the times we could have had.
Patrick M. Brennan
09/03/2012
My condolences to you and yorr, kids Sue. I'll always remember that smile of hisand of course his sense of humor. Love, Patrick
Ginny Olberding
09/03/2012
We shared our birthdays. He scraped me off the sidewalk when I was trying to learn how to ride my 2-wheeler. He gave me my first long stemmed red roses. He walked me down the aisle for my wedding. Just a few days ago he called to check and see how my kids and I were doing. What a special big brother! I love and miss him. Love and prayers to all of you.
Tori Rezek
09/02/2012
Uncle Bob, you will be greatly missed. Sending my best to the whole family. I love you all.
Wilma Richards
09/02/2012
Susan, I remember Bob as a friendly guy with a smile and laugh. He will be missed by many. Thinking of you.