Robert "Bob" L. Baer

Robert L. Baer was born March 24, 1945, in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of Harold and Ethel (Miller) Baer. He was a 1963 graduate of East Waterloo High School. Robert attended Hawkeye Technical College in Waterloo. He joined the United States Air Force April 1965.

On January 29, 1966, Robert Baer was united in marriage to Judee M. Simons, daughter of Jack and Lila Simons, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Waterloo, by Pastor Edgar Zelle. They made their first home in Washington, D.C. for two years before Bob was sent to Vietnam and Thailand. During Bob’s career they were also based at Robbins AFB, Georgia, Peterson Field, Colorado, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Brooks AFS, Texas, Whiteman AFB, Missouri, Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone, Central America and Shaw AFB, South Carolina. In September 1988, he retired from the Air Force after 23 years of service to his country.

Bob enjoyed hobbies of flying radio-controlled airplanes, restoring his 1952 Ford Cruiser sedan delivery and anything to do with computers.

Bob reached the clearing at the end of the path, surrounded by his loving family, at his home on Saturday, June 10, 2023, from the complications from agent orange exposure, at the age of 78. He is preceded in death by his son, Robert Jack Baer; father, Harold L. Baer; mother, Ethel L. Baer; sister, Brenda S. Taylor; father and mother-in-law, Jack and Lila (Hinz) Simons and brother-in-law, William P. Differding.

Bob is survived by wife, Judee of Cedar Falls; son, Ronald L. Baer of Cedar Falls; daughter, Galadriel K. (Jamey) Walker of Muscatine; grandsons, Jacob D. and Justin L. Nie; sisters, Judy (Paul) DeLong of Eden Utah, Jean (David) Marvitz of Waterloo and Carol (Aspi) Tamboli of Houston, Texas; brother, Charles (Jennice) Baer of New Hartford; sister-in-law, Lois Differding of Raymond; brothers-in-law, Gene Simons (Theresa Federspiel) of Cedar Falls and Gary Simons of Nora Springs; former son-in-law, Gary Nie of Muscatine; step-grandsons, Jacob (Aricka) Walker and Thadd (Hailey) Walker and four step-great-grandchildren, Hudson, Vaeda, Thatcher and Carson.

Visitation: Wednesday, June 14, 2023, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Parrott & Wood Chapel of Memories, 965 Home Plaza, Waterloo.

Service: Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 11:00 am at Parrott & Wood Chapel of Memories, 965 Home Plaza, Waterloo.

Burial: Fairview Cemetery in Dunkerton following the service.