Robert “Bob” Raedeke Jr , age 60, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at his home in Shakopee, MN.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, May 14 at 11 am, with a time of gathering at 9:30 am, at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, 12700 Marystown Road Shakopee, MN. Pastor John Stelljes will preside.
Bob was born on November 18, 1958, in Sioux City, I A . He was the fifth of six children born to parents Robert Charles Sr and Ruth Lorraine ( Schoepp ) Raedeke . Bob often found himself in mischief g rowing up with his siblings, J o hn , Pam, Linda, Karen and Marilyn. Around the third grade, he and his family moved to Worthington, MN . Due to his father’s career, the Raedeke family was once again on the move years later , this time to the Twin Cities area.
Bob had several career paths throughout his life. H is first job was working as a bus boy for Country Kitchen . With self-determination, Bob quickly climb ed the corporate ladder , with various restaurants , to top chef , with breakfast being his specialty. Switching careers, Bob spent several years selling Kirby vacuum cleaners . He loved interacting with people. Bob then focused the next 30 plus years in the printing business , for major companies in the metro area. Again , with a strong work ethic and great pride, he advanc ed his career from sales, to estimating and finally arriving at customer service . Bob was an individual who could not sit still. In his spare time, he became a gifted handy man. Watching other professionals through out the years tackle a project, Bob was able to mirror their work and complete a high-quality job. He had recently accepted a handy man job at a major care facility in the Shakopee area.
It was through his sister, Karen, that Bob’s life was enriched by meeting Barbara Luhman . The ir love quickly flourished and on December 28, 19 8 5, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hopkins, MN, Bob and Barb were married. They laid their roots in Shakopee , with building a beautiful home. Several years later, Bob and Barb became parents to a beautiful , baby girl , named Elizabeth. He was so proud to be a father ! As a family, they spent countless hours being together in the comforts of their home. Occasionally, Bob , Barb and Liz would visit family around Minnesota or vac ation to their favorite destination of Wisconsin Dells. Through out the years, they explored the beauty of Mexic o , Hawaii , Colorado and California, just to name a few adventures.
A faithful servant of God, Bob was an active member of Mount Olive Lutheran Church. He served in several capacities over the years, as the Treasure r and Secretary of the Finance Committee. Bob also served as the Sunday School Superintenden t, and he would take time off from the office every Wednesday to drive the kids to and from school to the church location on Marystown Road for Confirmation for one year. His strong faith was extraordinary .
Bob had this amazing gentle and caring soul. He was shy and a man of few words yet greeted you with a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on his face . Bob was generous a nd reserved . He was persistent, determined, and hardworking . After Bob’s passing, his generosity continued , by giving the gift of body donation , so others could continue living.
Bob is survived by wife, Bar b Raede ke ; daughter, Elizabeth Raedeke ; mother, Ruth Raedeke ; siblings, John (Vicki) Raedeke , Pam (Tim) Aho , L inda (Dan) Webster, Karen (Mark) Frankel, Marilyn (Dan) Sandford; special dog com panions of Buddy and Harley; other loving relatives and friends .
