Robert R. Haack

Robert Ralph Haack passed away in his home with loving family members beside him on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

Bob was born at 213 East 9th Street, Grand Island, Neb., Aug. 5, 1928, to Frank John Haack and Doris Marie Suehlsen Haack.

He was preceded in death by his father, who died when he was an infant; his mother, Doris Suehlsen Haack Schaumann Rippen; his infant brother, Frank John Haack, Junior and brother, Frank Donald Haack.

He attended schools in Grand Island and rural Hall County through eighth grade, and then Grand Island Senior High School, graduating in 1946.

After high school graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving his country in Guam. After his discharge from the Marines, he attended Doane College, Crete, Neb., graduating cume laude in three years with majors in mathematics and economics.

He was married to Annetta May Morton on June 10, 1951 at Riverside Baptist Church, Tekamah, Neb. On June 18, 1951 he started work for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in Omaha, Neb., as an accounting assistant. Assignments were mostly in Omaha with a five-year stint in Des Moines, Iowa. He retired in 1985 as vice president, comptroller and chief financial officer of (then) U.S. West.

In Nebraska and Des Moines, he was active in many voluntary activities including Boy Scouts, YMCA, the Republican Party, president of the Des Moines Symphony, and served on the board of Opera Omaha. He served on the Doane College board of trustees for 30 years and was chairman of the Investment Committee for 10 of those years. He was on the Omaha Housing Authority for five years and chairman for two years, working. Robert was active with the Omaha Economic Development Corporation (OEDC), working to promote minority business, and received the Whitney Young Award from the Omaha Chapter of the NAACP for those efforts.

In 1988, Bob and Annetta “pulled up Omaha stakes” and moved to Rio Verde, Ariz., where many friends had located. Cycling and golfing became his principal activities. The next era of computers was just coming of age, and both Bob and Annetta helped to organize learning groups, eventually teaching classes.

After years of retirement, Bob returned to the workforce at age 80, becoming a real estate agent in Rio Verde Sales for 10 years.

He is survived by Annetta, his wife of almost 70 years; his children Jeannine Stoddard (James), Bradley Haack (Maureen), Karl Haack (Rose), Valerie Thomas (Scott); daughter-in-law, Deb French; and son-in-law, Jack Irving; grandchildren, Tera Haack Hawley (Chris), April Haack, Laura Stoddard Krebs, Matthew Stoddard, Andrew Stoddard, Thomas Stoddard, Ryan Haack, Michelle Haack, Dylan Thomas, Mikaela Thomas, and Kasey Thomas;

great grandchildren, all Hawley’s, Lauren, Benjamin, Jaqueline, Madison, Logan, Morgan and Anderson;

step-grandchildren, Megan DeTroye, Michelle Malin (Eric); step-great-grandchildren, Roslyn DeTroye and Jack Malin.

Services to be announced later. Interment will be in the Columbarium at Rio Verde.