Robert Ernest Rehse

 Robert E. "Bob" Rehse, 81 of Joy, IL, formerly of Moline, passed away February 15, 2023 at Unity Point Trinity Hospital Rock Island. 

Visitation will be at 3:00 on Friday February 24th, 2023 at Faith Chapel Church, 200 E. Edwards St. Joy, IL, with funeral services following at 4pm. 

Memorials may be made to DAV (Disabled American Veterans). Speer Funeral Home of Aledo, IL is handling arrangements. Burial will be at Rock Island National Cemetery at a later date. 

     Bob was born on October 12,1941in Moline to William Benny and Ella Therese Thater Rehse. He attended McKinley Grade School in Moline, and would walk the one mile to school when the weather was nice. He and his older brother Bill were very active in Boy Scouts, as their father was the Scout leader, and Bob earned many merit badges, awards, and medals. He was always a hard worker, doing lots of odd jobs in his youth, one of which was rolling papers for the rural routes at the Moline Dispatch during high school. He graduated from Moline High School in 1959, then studied to become a tool and die maker, and was employed at John Deere Harvester Works. 

A few years later, Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army, and served as a Huey helicopter mechanic with the 1st Cav Air Mobile during the Vietnam conflict from 1965-1967. The summer after he was discharged, he took a month-long trip to Alaska with a couple of his boyhood buddies, John and Russell Peterson. He recounted tales of camping, fishing, and sightseeing in their Ford 3/4 ton pickup and camper. 

Upon returning from vacation, he resumed his job at John Deere where he worked for 42 years until his retirement in 2001. 

     Bob was a fan of Nascar and enjoyed watching the races on tv, along with the occasional football game and also cooking shows.

    He is survived by a niece Traci (Brent) Gonet and family of Haw River, NC, and special friends Mike and Christine Frieden and family of Joy, IL.  

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.