Bob G. Gress

Bobby Gene Gress was born January 2, 1937, in Atlantic, Iowa, the son of Herbert and Opal Gress. He passed away Thursday, October 24, 2019, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of eighty-two.
Bob received his education in the Marne Elementary School and graduated from Atlantic High School. He furthered his education at Simpson College where he participated in basketball and baseball and then received his BA and MS degrees from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri.
In 1961, Bob began his teaching career at Ar-We-Va where he taught science and coached for five years. He then taught and coached at Adair-Casey High School for thirteen years during this time he returned to school to earn his Master's Degree in school administration. Bob then returned to teach at Ar-We-Va in 1979 until 1999 as a principal and coach, retiring at the age of sixty-two.
Bob was united in marriage to Patty Knuth August 30, 1959, at the Walnut Presbyterian Church. The couple was blessed with the birth of three sons: Kurt, Kurby and Kolby.
All kinds of sports were his passion, especially golfing. For him golfing was a life long quest, he never stopped playing and reading about it in an attempt to improve his game. He also enjoyed fishing, including trips to Canada and South Dakota. He was a Dodger fan since his childhood and watched many sports on television.
He also enjoyed watching his granddaughters in track and cross country as well as all their other school activities. He loved his granddaughters and spent countless hours with them, taking them fishing, horseback riding, swimming, and cooking for them. He was especially known for his pancakes and homemade vanilla ice cream. Gardening was also a favorite pastime, he started vegetables and flowers from seed every winter. He found great pleasure growing both, giving away the plentiful harvest to friends. Bob was also an active member of his community and enjoyed socializing with everyone.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents; brother-in-law, Bob; uncle, Emmert; other relatives and many friends. Survivors include: his wife, Pat Gress of Westside, Iowa; three sons: Kurt D. Gress and his husband, Samuel Parkinson of Boston Massachusetts, Kurby Gress and his husband, John (Jay) Kiely of Boston, Massachusetts, and Kolby Gress and his wife, Cindy of Bellevue, Nebraska; four grandchildren: Ashley Dahlin and her husband Josh, Ali, Kaylee, and Sydney Gress; two great-grandchildren, Kolbie and Jace Dahlin; one sister, Carol Carslile and her husband, Jim of Granbury, Texas; one aunt, Erma Lange of Altantic, Iowa; other relatives and friends.