Obituary of Robert Breese

Robert (Bob) Lawrence Breese, 77, passed away on July 30, 2022 following a prolonged illness. He died in hospice care at a long-time friend’s home, surrounded by many of the taxidermied turkeys he had hunted on the same property. Bob was born on December 15, 1944 in Cosgrove, IA to parents Lawrence Marvin Breese and Ada Jeannette Robertson. There, on his family’s dairy farm, he learned the value of hard work and taking care of the land. He attended and graduated from Cosgrove schools in 1963, then served in the National Guard until his honorable discharge in 1971. Bob then moved to Solon, IA to establish, own and operate a successful welding and fabrication business until 2001. A master tinkerer, he gained the respect of metal artisans and steel workers nationwide for his work. He was deeply involved in the Iowa City community, serving as a volunteer firefighter for years. In his free time, he enjoyed training and competing with retrievers, fishing, and all types of hunting. In 2004, he retired and moved to Pittsburgh, MO. His garden was a thing of beauty; meticulously cared for and often sporting experimental growing structures thanks to his fabricator mind. After years of sporadically driving and sponsoring race cars, he became an avid fan of dirt track racing at Lucas Oil Speedway. You could find him there most race nights, generously sharing his box seats and cheering for his favorite drivers. He loved the track and people there so much that he went to races up to one week before he passed. Bob will join his parents and only sibling at Memory Gardens. And there is no doubt that his beloved labrador retrievers Bingo, Jessie and Reba will be wagging their tails to see him again. A graveside service celebrating Bob’s life will be held at 11:30 am Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at Memory Gardens. The visitation will be held at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service (2720 Muscatine Ave., Iowa City) where there will be a time from 10:30 am until the graveside services on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CMH Hospice, 1500 N. Oakland Ave, Bolivar MO, 65613.