Robert Lorraine Savereide, 97, formerly of Cedar Falls, died May 13 at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. He was born October 14, 1921, in Waterloo, Iowa, the son of Harry and Rachel (Melendy) Savereide. He married Ruby Wilmoth Woods on December 26, 1941.
She died December 8, 2012. Robert completed elementary and secondary schooling at the Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Missouri. As a cadet, he distinguished himself as scholar, student government leader, musician, and athlete.
He was an officer in the United States Army during World War II as a platoon leader in the 35th Infantry Division in France and Germany. He received a Purple Heart. He completed his freshman and sophomore years at Central College (now Central Methodist University) in Fayette, Missouri.
He was at the University of Missouri in Columbia his junior year and paid expenses playing piano in a dance band. With the help of the GI Bill after the war, he attended Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) and graduated in 1947 with a B.A. degree. He began his career as a science teacher in Burlington, Iowa, and continued in Dysart, Iowa, where in addition to teaching school, he managed the Avon Movie Theater with his wife “Willie”.
The family moved to Waterloo in 1956 and then to Cedar Falls in 1967. He completed graduate work in counseling at Iowa State Teachers College in 1959 and was one of the first secondary school counselors employed by the Cedar Falls School System even before Peet Junior High was constructed. In 1959 he moved from the Main Street School in Cedar Falls, where he taught science, to Peet, where he served as guidance counselor until his retirement in 1986.
He was active in state and national school counseling associations serving as national vice-president of the Middle Schools Division of the American School Counselor Association. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa and the Cedar Falls Kiwanis Club, which he served as secretary for many years. In retirement Robert extended his love of music and talents as a pianist and became certified as a piano technician and was an active member of the Piano Technicians Guild.
He acquired a special talent repairing, rebuilding, refinishing, and tuning pianos. He restored five grand pianos in all. With his move to the Iowa Veterans Home in 2012, he continued to play the piano and often entertained friends and residents.
He is survived by a son, Dr. Robert Savereide (Sue Ellen) of Ely, Minnesota, and a daughter, Susan Gubuan (Ramon) of Urbandale, Iowa; grandchildren Andrew Wheeler (Jarvis Willis) of Macon, Georgia, James Savereide (Kerry) of Fairbanks, Alaska, Megann Tresemer (Jason) of Cedar Falls, Dawn Russell of Winthrop; great-grandchildren Stephen and Matthew Wheeler, Zackary and Dylan Savereide, Owen and Norah Tresemer, Tyson, Taylor, and Trystin Russell; sister-in-law Maxine Woods and niece Linda Heydt of Mexico, Missouri; niece Sandra Hafner (Jim) of Sperry, Iowa. Robert was preceded in death by his parents and brother Duskin. Services will be held at 11 o’clock on Monday, May 20th at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cedar Falls, where the family will greet friends for an hour before the service.
Burial will follow at Garden of Memories in Waterloo. Richardson Funeral Service is assisting the family. Memorials may be directed to the Cedar Falls Schools Foundation, 602 Main Street, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613.
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