Robert Jedlicka

ROBERT "BOB" L. JEDLICKA

Solon

Robert "Bob" L. Jedlicka, 81, of Solon, died Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. Celebration of Life services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre in Solon, located at 100 S. Cedar St. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at Brosh Chapel and The Avacentre.

Robert was born Jan. 24, 1936, in rural Solon and graduated in 1955 from Solon High School, where he was the captain and first homecoming king of the modern era Solon football team. He married Ruby Cochran in 1958 at Shueyville United Methodist Church.

Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army and served two years in Friedberg, Germany. After returning home in 1960, Bob learned the electrical trade from Nate and Paul Moore at Nate Moore Wiring in Iowa City, where he worked for over 20 years. He then became the public works director for the city of Solon and finished his long career in his 70s, enjoying every minute with his friends at South Slope Telephone Co.

Bob was a longtime member of Solon United Methodist Church, where he served on many committees, and was elected to the Solon City Council for several terms. He worked with community leaders to establish the celebration known as Solon Beef Days.

Bob thrived on the times he could both motivate and tease his grandchildren and his many nieces and nephews. He loved helping them work together on a project. He always had "a project" going with family or friends involving wiring or building. Bob was genuinely interested in other people and so he was blessed with so many friends. He truly valued working his entire life and admired hardworking people. But he also was quick to celebrate life with a drink, a good meal and laughter. Bob found solitude in "going to the timber" to hunt deer, cut wood or just drive on a path. His greatest life struggle was his wife Ruby's journey into dementia. But the special CNAs and health care staff at the Solon Nursing Care Center provided him much needed support and relief.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ruby, of Solon; two daughters, Renee Jedlicka (Tony Stubbs) of Emmetsburg, and their two children, Jacob and Maddie; and Roxane (Miles) Patton of Sioux City, and their two children, Jessie and Miles; a son, Rick (Terri) Jedlicka of Solon, and their three children, Rob, Charlie and Jeannie; and his four sisters, Evelyn Langlas of Williamsburg, Irene Wears of Solon, Shirley (Jerry) McAtee of Solon and Kathleen (Richard) Beuter of Carmel, Ind.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Solon Retirement Village Foundation to install an electronic door lock, because as Bob said, "We've got to do something different with that damn thing."

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.broshchapel.com.