Obituary of Robert Lee Deering Sr

Robert Lee Deering, Sr. was born October 27, 1934 to Gustav and Marie Deering in Milwaukee, WI. After a bout of scarlet fever left a young Robert with a poor immune system and heart problems, he spent the next few years in and out of the hospital and convalescent home. Ultimately, doctors recommended the family relocate to a warmer, drier climate for the sickly child, and so Gustav quit his job as a machinist to become a custodian at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. As an adolescent, Robert ignored doctor warnings to avoid strenuous activities and became actively involved in school athletics. In fact, while he struggled with reading and spelling, he excelled at football and made a name for himself as a running back at Chandler High School. He was the first student to score a touchdown on Austin Field and was inducted into the Chandler High hall of fame in 2007. Robert met Jane Evans, a schoolteacher from Mesa, in 1954 and the two were married a year later. With the help of his wife, Robert went to college to study electrical engineering while he worked his way up at Salt River Project (SRP). The couple was blessed with two children over the next few years, and Robert became very involved in athletics again as a coach. In 1981, after 21 years at SRP, Robert got the opportunity to work overseas for Saudi Aramco, an oil company based in Saudi Arabia. Robert and Jane lived in a small community in Saudi Arabia and he was very active with their church group who soon became like family. In 1989, Robert and Jane became the legal guardians of two of their granddaughters and raised them in Arabia until Robert retired in 1994. Over the course of 14 years overseas, Robert was able to travel the world with his wife many times over. After breaking residency in Reno, Nevada, Robert and Jane moved back to Arizona to be near their family. Not one to enjoy a life of leisure, Robert's retirement was short-lived and he became actively involved in a family business he had invested in. While he finally quit working in 2013, he remained active and supportive of his family and friends until his passing on May 29, 2022 in Mesa, AZ. His tremendous resilience, great faith, and grit made Robert a rare and special man. His friends and family were very blessed to have such a dynamic and generous husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle in their lives. Robert is survived by his son, Robert Deering, Jr. and daughter, Faylynn Deering; 4 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren, and many devoted nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Gustav and Marie Deering; older siblings, Fay and Ronald; and his wife, Jane.