On Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, Robert James Reitan, or “Bob,” of Horseshoe Bay, Texas, passed away at the age of 89 years with his family around him.
Born Oct. 6, 1931, in Moscow, he was the son of Edward Reitan and Marie Larson Reitan. Bob attended Moscow schools, where he loved competing in sports and excelled in football because of his speed. He was involved in various forms of employment in Idaho at a young age, from delivering milk, to painting, to being a lumberjack.
Bob enlisted in the United States Army in 1951, where he served until 1954, and directly thereafter joined the Army National Guard of Idaho as a reservist until his honorable discharge in late 1956. He later moved to Horseshoe Bay, Texas, in 1973 with his wife, Andrea, and four young boys. He served as the first volunteer fire department chief of Horseshoe Bay and worked for the start-up Kaepa Inc., an athletic shoe company his brother-in-law founded in 1975. From the late 1970s until 1990, Bob owned and operated “The Bottle Shop” liquor store, where he enjoyed meeting people visiting or moving to the hill country over the years.
Bob always had interesting stories to tell, whether it was about his life growing up in Idaho, the days of playing football in a leather helmet, or a story about his logging days. When he wasn’t working, you might find him playing catch with his boys or teaching them how to swim, water ski, or play tennis. Teaching the family dog a new trick was also a favorite pastime!
Bob is survived by his five sons, Scott Reitan, of Lewiston, Tony (Shawn) Reitan, of Burnet, Texas, Steve (Dandy) Reitan, of Marble Falls, Texas, Kevin (Kimberly) Reitan, of Marble Falls, Texas, and John (Carol) Reitan, of Livingston, Texas; one daughter, Deborah (Ron) Grieser, of Marble Falls, Texas; and his brother, Darrel Daniel, of Arizona. He will be forever and lovingly remembered by his children as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.
Plans for a get-together to reminisce in memory of Bob will be set for a later date.
