Bob Cutler

Bob Cutler, 86, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Jan. 30, 2018, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Funeral services were held on Friday, Feb. 2, at First United Methodist Church.  Private burial will be at Resthaven Cemetery.

Bob was born to Frances and Ted Cutler, and raised in Des Moines.  He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1949, and attended Iowa State University where he played football for two years before transferring to Cornell College.

Bob met his wife, Joanne, at First United Methodist Church while they were in high school.  After two years at ISU, he followed Joanne to Cornell College, and the two were married before their senior year.   At Cornell, Bob competed in both swimming and golf.

Following college, Joanne and Bob returned to Des Moines to raise their family.   Bob owned Cutler Corporation, a commercial mechanical contracting business.   He conducted business with honesty and integrity, always honoring a handshake agreement.

Throughout his years in Des Moines, Bob was active at the YMCA, where he formed lifelong friendships swimming and playing handball with his Hinder Club friends.

Bob loved his dogs and was never without a dog by his side.  Training whistles always hung from the rear view mirror of his car.  He trained his dogs to hunt and compete in field trials, but above all, they were his constant companions.   

Bob retired when he was 54 to pursue his passions of hunting and fishing.  In the years that followed he and Joanne divided their time between Florida and Clear Lake.  Winters spent in Florida were all about fishing.  Bob became very close to his friends at Fishtale Marina, on Fort Myers Beach, where countless fish stories were told.

Summers at Clear Lake were spent surrounded by kids, grandkids, friends, and all of their dogs.  The more the merrier!

His life-long faith journey began at First United Methodist Church, in Des Moines, where he and Joanne met, married, and raised their family.  Throughout the years Bob and Joanne were also members of Clear Lake United Methodist Church, and First Presbyterian Church, in Bonita Springs, Fla.  His strong faith provided strength and guidance to Bob throughout his life.

Bob was preceded in death by his daughter, Lynne; grandson, Charlie; his parents; and sister, Judy.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joanne;  son, Chuck (Diane); daughter, Lauri (Jim) Garvey; grandchildren, John (Gretta), Scott, Peter (Kiley), Jack, and Kendall; brother, Dick (Joann); nephew, Jamie (Marsha); and two great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Bennett Cutler.

Whether we knew him as Bob, Cutty, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Bob, Back Bay Bob, Hawkeye, or Papa, he will be missed.  He showed us all with his gentle and unassuming nature that family is everything, and he taught us to “look on the sunny side”.  We celebrate his great life.

Donations may be made to the Charlie Cutler Healing and Wellness program at John Stoddard Cancer Center, 1415 Woodland Avenue, Suite E200, Des Moines, IA 50309.  www.unitypoint.org/desmoines/online-donation

Arrangements by Iles Dunn’s Chapel.