Robert Earl Happ died peacefully at home in Asbury, Iowa on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. He was preceded in death in 2022 by his beloved wife of 36 years, Charlotte DeClue-Happ.

The oldest of five children of Earl and Ruth (Vick) Happ, Bob was born in Rochester, New York on November 4, 1941 and raised in Webster, NY. He was a 1959 graduate of the former Webster Central School, and earned his undergraduate degree at Ottawa University in Kansas in 1963. After completing a Master’s Degree at the University of Iowa and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport, he embarked on a remarkable 59-year teaching career in his adopted home state of Iowa – collecting along the way an Education Specialist (Ed.S) degree from Western Illinois University. Settling permanently in the Dubuque area in 1971, Bob was the Chair of the English Department of Hempstead High School for 29 years, then taught at the University of Dubuque until 2022.

Bob Happ was a kind and courteous man whose reserved, soft-spoken demeanor concealed a fascinatingly complex heart and mind. He was a man of firm convictions, intellectual pursuit, surprisingly mischievous wit, connection with nature, faithful service, quiet affection – and above all, unbending and abiding personal integrity.

He adored his wife and treated her through the years with playful affection and absolute devotion. His dry (and sometimes naughty) humor could send Charlotte into a fit of laughter without warning. Each year he would proudly surprise her with a new trip or adventure to celebrate their anniversary. And through her toughest challenges, he remained her steadfast center of support. His children felt that steady calming presence as well. His only demanding expectations were for ethical behavior, and his love was unconditional and nonjudgmental. No compliments would have meant more to him than these: He was a good man and a trusted friend, a loyal brother, a great dad, and a wonderful grandfather.

For Bob, Christian faith was not only about inner beliefs, but also a descriptor of how he felt called to live his life – how to treat people, where to give his time, and what to prioritize when facing difficult dilemmas. His faith was deep and foundational, but not overly rhetorical. It was his own, rarely expressed aloud. A faith to be shown through deeds and habitual kindness, witnessed by those around him through his palpable decency, and demonstrated primarily by his service to others. And he provided that loyal service to the organizations dear to him for decades. During his 55 years of membership in the First Baptist Church, he was a near constant presence on the leadership Board, serving roughly half of that time as Financial Secretary. He was a three-time Worshipful Master of his Masonic Lodge, Mosaic #125, and took great care in stewarding its scholarship program. And he and his close-knit colleagues from the Hempstead English Department spent half a century building an enduring community of true friendship.

Bob’s definition of “community” also extended beyond his immediate surroundings to people he had never met, with whom he shared little in common. In the mid 1960s, he was arrested and jailed in the heart of Mississippi for protesting against efforts to keep African Americans from voting. He and a handful of friends had originally traveled south with thousands of books to establish a “freedom library” for black citizens prevented from entering the local libraries. In true Bob fashion, his own children never heard about the episode until their teen years – only learning of his physical and moral courage from the high school’s football coach. There was perhaps no clearer illustration of the man’s humility.

The true complexity of Bob’s mind revealed itself in widely varying ways. He was a man of literature who quoted poetry and directed plays. He taught film, highlighting visual choices that revealed deeper meaning. He loved classic cinema and classic cars, and could (would) speak at length on either. He dutifully judged speech contests, challenged his composition students to balance structure and style effectively, and relished an opportunity to answer a grammatical query. He was a lifelong daily crossword enthusiast, and an ace at trivia. And not to be limited to cerebral matters, he also loved sports – most ardently Iowa Hawkeyes football and basketball, and his beloved Green Bay Packers.

Everyone close to Bob knew he savored his leisure time and enjoyed nothing more than relaxing in his easy chair, watching a movie or a game on TV. Yet paradoxically, his life was full of active endeavors. He dutifully maintained a garden larger than a tennis court, spending hours in the sun producing food for his family. He loved camping and hiking, scaling the tallest peaks of the Adirondack Mountains countless times. In the 1970s, he rode in the famed RAGBRAI bicycle trek, and for several years in the 90s he and Charlotte regularly went square dancing, fully decked out in colorful costumes. He traveled to spots across the globe during his life, and when his children were young he embarked on epic cross-county road trips that collectively took them through 46 states.

Bob Happ led a full and fulfilling life, exiting with no regrets. During his final months he expressed serene satisfaction with what he had contributed, and overwhelming gratitude for what he had been given.

A celebration of life service will be held Friday, April 17 at 2:00 pm at First Baptist Church, 2143 Judson Dr., Dubuque, Iowa, followed by an open house reception from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the Luther Manor Communities Clubhouse at 5284 Grand Meadows Dr., Asbury, Iowa. Flower arrangements and mementos are welcome. Live-streaming of the service will be available through the church’s YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@firstbaptistdubuque2362 An internment will occur later in a private family service at Dubuque Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Hoffman Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home And Crematory is in care of arrangements. In addition, the family would like to extend special gratitude to First Baptist Church of Dubuque, Mosaic Lodge #125, and the Luther Manor Community for their loving care and concern. Donations may be made to the Robert Happ Memorial at the following organizations, to all of which he gave his service and leadership for decades:

Hempstead HS – English Dept.
Robert Happ Novels Fund
c/o Marcya Grudzina
3700 Pennsylvania Ave
Dubuque, IA 52002

First Baptist Church of Dubuque
2143 Judson Dr
Dubuque, IA 52001

Mosaic Lodge #125
2127 Gold St
Dubuque, IA 52001

Robert Earl Happ had five devoted children – two from his first marriage, and three more gained at once when he and Charlotte married in October of 1986. He delighted in all five his kids and their ever-growing families, and beamed with pride at their adventures and accomplishments.

Surviving are his children Marcya (Grant) Grudzina of Asbury, IA, Kimberly (Tom) Kublie of Marion, TX, John (Kym) Lang of Crestview, FL, Michael (Leah) Happ of Evanston, IL, and James (Summer) Lang of North Liberty, IA; grandchildren Joshua Kublie, Alyssa Kublie, Madyson Lang Kennedy (Joshua), Duncan Grudzina, Jessica Wells, Sophia Grudzina, Juliana Grudzina, Brynn Grudzina, Devin Anderson, Peyton Anderson, Rose Happ, and Eric “Bear” Happ; great-grandchildren Hunter Kublie, Amelia Kublie, Owen Kublie, and Paisley Wells; siblings Sharon Nothnagle of Tamworth, NH, Ronald (Sandy) Happ, David Happ, and Sylvia (Tom) Farnand, all of Webster, NY; and close cousin Paul (Joyce) Vick of Rochester, NY.

Bob loved Shakespeare and taught his works for decades. He had an impression of the Bard’s tomb displayed prominently in his home for years, and could offer quotes befitting various occasions. When a close friend and decades-long teaching colleague was informed of his passing, they thought of Hamlet, Act I, Scene 2, wherein the titular prince laments the loss of the “goodly king,” his father: “He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.”

Indeed, for all who knew and loved this wonderful man, we truly shall not look upon his like again.