Obituary of Richard Rembolt

Dick Rembolt passed away peacefully at Bird House Hospice Home in Iowa City on March 26, 6 days after his 73rd birthday. Dick battled with Alzheimers for several years and had been living in the Memory Care Unit at Keystone prior to his transfer to Bird House. Dick leaves behind his wife Penny, his children Brad, Kelly and Katie (husband David Lichtenstein) and his brand new granddaughter Sofia as well as many dear friends. He will be remembered by those who love him as a gentle, kind, empathetic soul who was a lifelong Hawkeye fan (he was able to mouth a few of the words to the fight song when we played it for him at Bird House), a jokester and prankster, a lover of ice cream and dogs who was always involved with a new hobby: piano and clarinet lessons, birding, cooking with garlic, gardening, beer brewing, and beanie baby and baseball card collecting. Dick was born in Lincoln, NE but moved to Iowa City with his family as an infant. He attended Lincoln elementary school, Central Jr High and City High where he played basketball, played tuba in the marching band and generally enjoyed an active high school social life. He spent 2 years at UNI before transferring back to UI where he graduated with a degree in Phys Ed., intending to be a high school basketball coach. Instead, Dick followed in his older brother Dave’s footsteps and entered the Marine Aviation program. Dick excelled as a pilot, earning Top Gun status and later flying an EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jet off the aircraft carrier Midway. Dick married Penny Winnie, a high school classmate, in 1975. They were stationed in Iwakuni Japan and Cherry Point, NC. Dick left active duty in 1976 but remained active in the USMC Reserve until 1991. In 1977, Dick joined EDS, where he learned computer programing; he soon moved into management and worked as an account manager in various locations for the next 23 years. In 2000 Dick moved back to Iowa City with his family to work at NCS Pearson until his retirement in 2013. Dick was happy to be back in Iowa City with old high school and college friends and he spent the last 21 years enjoying all that he loved about Iowa City: attending all kinds of Hawkeye sports events, biking out to the reservoir, spotting eagles along the river, drinking coffee at Java House, and in the last few years, attending weekly lunches at Hilltop Tavern with his incredibly supportive group of friends. As he began to decline Dick was lucky to have the help of a large community looking out for him and providing care and support to both him and his family. Although Dick was in mental decline for several years, his personality did not change; he retained his sense of humor, even about himself, his good manners and his compassion for others, often asking the staff at Keystone how he could help them. His family feels privileged to have had Dick in our lives for all the years we did and we will cherish his memory and carry his spirit with us always. A celebration of Dick's life will be held on Thursday, June 10th from 4 to 7pm with an informal time of remembrance at 5:30 pm; location will be the North Ridge Pavilion in Coralville. Dick’s family is inviting friends to join them in eating his favorite foods and smiling at favorite memories. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made in Dick’s memory to The Bird House, Hospice Home of Johnson County or Pathways of Iowa City. For a complete obituary, to share a thought, memory or condolence with his family please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com.