ROBERT "BOB" OPPOLD

ROBERT "BOB" OPPOLD of Waterloo, IA died July 13, 2013 at the age of 88. He was employed at Dunn's Funeral Home in Des Moines before moving to Waterloo in 1954. He then purchased Hurley Funeral Home on West 8th and Washington Streets. In 1959, he moved to West Third and South Streets, with the purchase of the former Knights of Columbus hall in which he then became owner and operator of Oppold Funeral Home. In 1982, he acquired O'Keefe & Towne Funeral Home. In 1990, he and his wife, Pat retired and sold all locations to Louis Hagarty, John Waychoff and Paul Grarup. The proceeds of the sale were placed in endowment trusts for the benefit of Waterloo Columbus High School and Gilbertville Don Bosco High School. He was known widely as the "one eyed pilot" and would pick up remains in locations poorly serviced by airlines and return them to their loves ones for burial. He also provided an ambulance service that included transporting children to the Shriners' Burn Hospital in Cincinnati at his cost. He was past president of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association, and past president of the Flying Funeral Directors of America. He was a graduate of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science.