Robert "Bob" J. Lana
April 5, 1939 — November 9, 2018
Robert J. “Bob” “Scoop” Lana, 79, of Marion, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 9, 2018, at his home. The family will greet friends from 4 – 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Marion. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 15, 2018, at the funeral home. Burial will take place at Palo Cemetery, Palo, Iowa.
Surviving are a daughter, Laura (John) Pasternak and children, Jake, Danielle, and Mark of Mililani, Hawaii; sons, Tim (Robyn) Lana and children Caitlyn, Sam and Hollyn of Mason, Ohio and Tom Lana and children Tristan, Trey and Trinity of Milford, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Janis Igou Rogers; wife, Rosalie “Lea”; and long-time fiancée, Leona Zundel who passed away April 22, 2014.
Bob was born April 5, 1939, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of William J. and Berneice O. (McAllister) Lana. He graduated in 1957 from Wilson High School where he served as class President.
Bob also attended Iowa State Teacher’s College (UNI) in 1957 – 58, and graduated from Coe College in 1962, where he was a member of the baseball teams; Phi Kappa Tau fraternity; Phi Kappa Phi – honorary journalism fraternity, and he served as editor of the “Coe Cosmos”.
He spent much of his life in the newspaper business. Bob’s first job was assistant sports editor of the Fort Dodge, Iowa, “Messenger”, and then on the 7-man sports staff at Rockford, Illinois Newspapers. Then it was back to the Cedar Rapids Gazette on the 4-man sports staff from 1964 – 1969. In 1969, Bob was named Editor-Publisher of “The Marion Sentinel”. He bought the paper in 1975 and owned it until the sale in 1985. Bob spent a “second career” with AT & T for 15 years before retiring in April of 2004, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Bob came out of retirement in June of 2006, to be sports editor of “The Marion Times”, covering Linn-Mar and Marion High School sports with numerous stories and pictures, one of his loves. He was inducted into the Marion High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a community member in October of 2010. Bob also received Distinguished Service Awards from the Marion Jaycees (1976) and the Iowa Football Coaches Association (1983).
Always active in sports, Bob served as both a player and manager in the M & J baseball league at Daniels Park. He was also a long-time high school/college baseball umpire for nearly 30 years and a basketball official.
Bob held previous memberships in the Marion Noon Lions Club, Phlat Erth Society, Indian Creek Country Club, Marion Retail Bureau (President), Marion Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Lodge, Consistory, El Kahir Shrine, where he edited the “Karavan” under Potentate, Dr. Russ Anthony; the Football Writers’ Association of America, and Mesa, Arizona Buckhorn Elks Club.
He was a dedicated fan of the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club and the Booster Club, Iowa Hawkeyes, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs – when they didn’t play the Cardinals!, Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Bob was one of the inaugural Cedar Rapids Baseball Booster Club members, when they organized in the 1970’s, and served many years as President.
He was a loving father and grandfather, as well as a friend to many who will all miss him. Bob and Leona also enjoyed spending the past 11 winters in Mesa, Arizona, loving the sun, gambling and bingo with friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids and special thanks to Unity Point Hospice and all who cared for him during his illness.
Surviving are a daughter, Laura (John) Pasternak and children, Jake, Danielle, and Mark of Mililani, Hawaii; sons, Tim (Robyn) Lana and children Caitlyn, Sam and Hollyn of Mason, Ohio and Tom Lana and children Tristan, Trey and Trinity of Milford, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Janis Igou Rogers; wife, Rosalie “Lea”; and long-time fiancée, Leona Zundel who passed away April 22, 2014.
Bob was born April 5, 1939, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the son of William J. and Berneice O. (McAllister) Lana. He graduated in 1957 from Wilson High School where he served as class President.
Bob also attended Iowa State Teacher’s College (UNI) in 1957 – 58, and graduated from Coe College in 1962, where he was a member of the baseball teams; Phi Kappa Tau fraternity; Phi Kappa Phi – honorary journalism fraternity, and he served as editor of the “Coe Cosmos”.
He spent much of his life in the newspaper business. Bob’s first job was assistant sports editor of the Fort Dodge, Iowa, “Messenger”, and then on the 7-man sports staff at Rockford, Illinois Newspapers. Then it was back to the Cedar Rapids Gazette on the 4-man sports staff from 1964 – 1969. In 1969, Bob was named Editor-Publisher of “The Marion Sentinel”. He bought the paper in 1975 and owned it until the sale in 1985. Bob spent a “second career” with AT & T for 15 years before retiring in April of 2004, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
Bob came out of retirement in June of 2006, to be sports editor of “The Marion Times”, covering Linn-Mar and Marion High School sports with numerous stories and pictures, one of his loves. He was inducted into the Marion High School Athletic Hall of Fame as a community member in October of 2010. Bob also received Distinguished Service Awards from the Marion Jaycees (1976) and the Iowa Football Coaches Association (1983).
Always active in sports, Bob served as both a player and manager in the M & J baseball league at Daniels Park. He was also a long-time high school/college baseball umpire for nearly 30 years and a basketball official.
Bob held previous memberships in the Marion Noon Lions Club, Phlat Erth Society, Indian Creek Country Club, Marion Retail Bureau (President), Marion Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Lodge, Consistory, El Kahir Shrine, where he edited the “Karavan” under Potentate, Dr. Russ Anthony; the Football Writers’ Association of America, and Mesa, Arizona Buckhorn Elks Club.
He was a dedicated fan of the Cedar Rapids Baseball Club and the Booster Club, Iowa Hawkeyes, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs – when they didn’t play the Cardinals!, Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Bob was one of the inaugural Cedar Rapids Baseball Booster Club members, when they organized in the 1970’s, and served many years as President.
He was a loving father and grandfather, as well as a friend to many who will all miss him. Bob and Leona also enjoyed spending the past 11 winters in Mesa, Arizona, loving the sun, gambling and bingo with friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Hall-Perrine Cancer Center in Cedar Rapids and special thanks to Unity Point Hospice and all who cared for him during his illness.
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