Robert Stahl

Robert Herman Stahl, 89, of Bettendorf, Iowa, parted our fellowship to his final rest with his Lord on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at the Davenport Lutheran Home in Davenport, Iowa.

Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 1, 2014 at Asbury United Methodist Church in Bettendorf where he was a longtime member. Visitation will be 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf. Burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park. Memorials honoring Bob may be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, the Davenport Lutheran Home, or Genesis Hospice Care, all of whom the family is grateful to for their loving support and care.

Robert was born May 7, 1925 in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Herman Stahl and Ruby Ruth (Gibson) Stahl.

Bob had a long and challenging life, with many memorable and influential relationships along the way.  He first met and “courted” Loraine Elinor Stapleton when they were both in kindergarten, which resulted in a “kiss and a slap” on the playground on the last day of school.

Bob went on to graduate from Clinton High School in 1943, and joined the United States Navy, where he became trained as a Machinist Mate, and served on the USS Jason for the duration of World War II.  Upon being discharged, and apparently not discouraged by the playground incident, Robert again went seeking Loraine with somewhat better results.

Robert and Loraine were wed on September 14, 1946.  In 1950 the Stahl family moved to Bettendorf, after Bob was hired as a Millwright at the Alcoa plant in Pleasant Valley.  In the following years, and working multiple jobs, Bob and Loraine raised three sons, and Bob bloomed as a father, active member of his community, and youth leader.

As his family grew, Bob took on roles as Cub Scout master, Youth Fellowship Leader and Sunday School teacher for 13 years at Asbury United Methodist Church, church bowling league president, and the president of the Methodist Men for four years.

Bob was a 32nd degree Free Mason, and he and Loraine were leading participants in the Lay Witness movement for their church, where Bob was Chairman.  Probably most cherished, and one of his longest legacies for which he was “not known”, was his absolute love of Christmas and the birth of Our Lord, and particularly his long-standing role as the “jolly old elf.”  Besides his beloved habit of starting to play Christmas music in July, Bob played the most spectacular Santa for decades, literally from the time he was a teenager.  For youth groups, for orphanages, for families of deployed military members, for neighbors and friends, Bob was the face of Santa for literally thousands of adoring children.  Bob, with his carefully managed “Good Book” would sit for untold minutes, and particularly with special needs children, to insure that each child felt loved, and knew they were on the “good list”.

That love carried over to many other areas, as Bob served as Chairman of the Alcoa Employees United Charities (AEUC), providing support to needy families and hundreds of Christmas food baskets each year.  Bob also acted as one of Alcoa’s “Loaned Executives” to the United Way campaign for many years, as the unanimous choice to represent the company and Local No. 105 of the Aluminum Workers International Union. Bob was also a volunteer for the Bix 7 for many years.

Bob is survived by his beloved Loraine, to whom he was married for 68 years, their three sons Roy Herman Stahl, Daniel Robert Stahl and his wife Kristi (Cook) Bedell-Stahl, and LTC (Retired) Alan Bruce Stahl (USA), and his wife Teresa (Newhouse); grandchildren Dana Stahl and Darcie Solomon, Jennifer (Stahl) Stoltenberg, Clay and Aaron Bedell and Kara (Bedell) Greer, Lt.Col. Brian Stahl (USAF), Maj. Adrienne Stahl (USAF), and Eric Stahl; and 17 great-grandchildren.

He is preceded by his father Herman, mother Ruth, and sisters Emma and Genevive, daughter-in-law Sheila Stahl, grandson Robbie Beeks, and great-grandson Liam Stahl.

We are all better for the simple fact that Bob Stahl was amongst us for 89 years.