Obituary of Reta Mae Lepic

Reta Mae Lepic, 95, passed away peacefully at the Solon Care Center on November 15th, 2020, with family by her side. There will be no public service due to Covid 19. There will be a private graveside service for family Wednesday morning, Nov. 18th at Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City, no public service or visitation is planned at this time. A celebration of Reta’s life will be held at a later date. To share a thought, memory or condolence please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. In lieu of flowers please give to the charity of your choice in Reta’s memory. Reta was born December 31st, 1924, just minutes before midnight. She always talked about missing out on the Iowa City Mercy Hospital’s present given to the first baby born in the New Year! Reta was the daughter of Louis Anson and Eva (Schleichter) Douglas. She was the second eldest of four girls; Ruby, Corinne and Margaret. Reta attended Henry Sabin elementary in Kindergarten then transferred to the newly built Roosevelt School for grades 1-6. She attended Central Jr. High in grades 7-9 and then City High School where she graduated from the new building on Morningside Dr. as a member of the second graduating class of 1943. While at City High, Reta played girls volleyball, archery, badminton, was in the camera club and was the President of the Girls Athletic Association. She always cherished her high school yearbook and her little brownie camera. Reta met the love of her life, Jaro Lepic, on a blind date her senior year in high school. Jaro had graduated from City High the year before and joined the Marine Corps. In 1944, Reta, with a couple of girlfriends drove all the way to California to visit Jaro where he had been assigned. When she returned home, she informed her parents that she would “marry that young man someday”. Reta graduated early and immediately started working at the University Press making plates for publication. She later worked as bookkeeper for five different departments. There she learned how to use an adding machine, typewriter and other modern equipment of the day. As Reta promised, in June of 1946 she and Jaro were married at the First United Methodist Church in Iowa City. Their union was blessed with three sons, Steve, Ted and Tom. After her youngest, Tom, started Kindergarten, Reta began working as a secretary in the Iowa City School system. She was at Horace Mann School for 8 years and then Grant Wood Elementary where she stayed until retiring in 1986. Reta loved carrying on the Bohemian Heritage of the Lepic Family. Three of her favorite Bohemian foods which she made were Plum Dumplings, Liver Dumpling Soup, and Hoska (a tradition carried on today by her grandchildren). Reta was crucial to her family of guys as their bird dog when hunting, but she always one-upped them when it came to finding the most mushrooms or catching the biggest bass. Reta was taught by her father at a young age to play golf and played into her 80’s. She also enjoyed watching sports, especially her Cubbies and Hawkeyes, and winning the annual football pool. After retirement Reta found new passion in painting scenes from memory, and in researching her family genealogy, some going back to Revolutionary Patriots. She also enjoyed traveling with Jaro and spending winters in Biloxi, MS. When home in Iowa City they were active; working out and walking their eastside neighborhood. Reta was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Jaro, two sisters Ruby and Corinne, and two grandchildren Danny and Andy. She is survived by her sister Margaret (Myles) Harai, her sons Steve (Alicia), Ted (Kate Kostenbader), Tom (Polly), her grandchildren Lisa Lepic, Catherine Lepic, Jaro John Lepic (Talia), Nate Lepic (Tara), Matt Lepic (Nicole), Kari Juhl (Brandon), and step granddaughter Natalie Kranz (Kameron), as well as her 16 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Reta will be greatly missed by her family and friends and all whose lives she touched during her 95 years in Iowa City. The Lepic family is so blessed to have been surrounded by Reta’s love!