Charles Robert (Bob) Laudie, age 98, died on December 24, 2017, in Iowa City, Iowa. Bob was born in Independence, Missouri, on September 8, 1919, one of four sons of Ada and Andrew Laudie.
He graduated from William Chrisman High School in 1937 and received an A.A. from Graceland College (now University) in Lamoni, Iowa, in 1940. He was employed by Lockheed before entering the Army AirCorp aviation school in January,1942. During WWII Bob was a B26 navigator/bombardier flying out of England. He flew over 73 missions including two over Utah Beach on D-day.
Bob met Millie Ensley at Graceland and they were married in Sacramento, California, on December 22, 1946. Bob received his B.A. from San Jose State University and M.A. from Stanford with post-graduate work at University of California, Berkeley.
Bob began his teaching career in 1949 at Los Gatos, California. Later, they briefly moved to Concord, California, when Bob became a principal, and Judy and Sharon were born there. Bob remained a principal in the Mt. Diablo School District after moving to Walnut Creek, California. After retirement in 1986, they moved north to Cloverdale, California, until 2005 when they moved to Iowa City, Iowa, to be near daughter, Judy.
Bob was principal of large California elementary schools for over 33 years. He opened the (1200 student) elementary schools of Oak Park and Woodside in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. In 1963-4 he was an exchange principal in Hawaii. Bob could be found in the classroom helping teachers or on the playground teaching kids to jump rope.
Bob and Millie loved to entertain people in their home. Many teachers and parents remember being at their home on the Walnut Creek hill looking out at Mt. Diablo. Bob enjoyed his roles as an educator, friend, father, and husband. Bob was a HAM radio operator (WA6SZT) on the San Joaquin Net and later in Iowa City. He helped build the Community of Christ church building in Walnut Creek, worked on the Happy Valley church campground, and rejuvenated the Cloverdale Historical Society.
Bob loved to travel and maintained friendships around the world. Many people stayed at their home over the years including friends from Ecuador, Japan, and Hawaii. Bob cared about people and enjoyed hearing their life stories. Bob will be remembered for his generosity to those in need, his love of people, and his outgoing forward nature and interest in all he met.
Survivors include daughter, Judy (Bruce) Pfohl, grandson Mike (Melissa) Pfohl, and great granddaughters Lorelei and Holly Pfohl. Bob was preceded in death by his wife Millie, young daughter Sharon Ann, and his brothers Truman, Roy, and Lloyd Laudie. The family extends appreciation to the staff and residents of Oaknoll Retirement Residence.
A celebration of his life will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Graceland University, Oaknoll Foundation, or a charity of your choice.Online condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com
