Robert Oettel

Robert Edmund Karl "Bob" Oettel, age 87, of San Antonio, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at the Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on Sunday, June 27, 1937 to Kurt and Christine (Schmidt) Oettel in San Rafael, California.
Bob was a proud resident of California, enjoying his boyhood and then completing a degree in Political Science. He lived in San Rafael until he entered military service serving as Chaplain's Assistant in Landstuhl, Germany.
He trained for the ministry with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod at Concordia College, Milwaukee. He served churches in Flemington, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Omaha, Nebraska; and Philip, South Dakota. His emphasis was working with the Deaf community using sign language.
He married Carol Rose Becker in 1965 and they had two daughters, Victoria and Kristina.
Bob and Carol later moved to Matsuyama, Japan where Bob taught at a girls' school, Shinonome High School. They stayed for 12 years, and then had a year living and teaching in Slovakia. They returned to the US, living in South Dakota. Bob and Carol then retired in Mena, Arkansas and enjoyed their life there.
After Carol's passing in 2010, Bob remained in Mena for a few years, then marrying Shirley Gaede in 2014 and settling in Texas. He enjoyed almost ten years of married life with Shirley, enjoying life in San Antonio, Texas as a member of King of Kings Lutheran Church.
Bob loved reading and was a great fan of non-fiction including geography and social sciences. He also loved travel and living overseas. One of his greatest joys was connecting with and helping people. He was passionate about civil rights and took great pleasure in his long-time work with the Deaf community. In retirement, Bob had more time for reading and also for Sudoku and games such as Upwords.
He is preceded in death by his parents and by his first wife, Carol Rose Oettel.
Bob is survived by his loving wife, Shirley Ruth Gaede of San Antonio; two daughters and sons-in-law, Victoria Oettel and Stuart Upton of Sydney, Australia, and Kristina Oettel-Barber and Sean Barber of Orange Park, Florida; two grandchildren, Toby Upton-Oettel of Sydney, Australia, and Beatrice Upton-Oettel of Sydney, Australia; and a host of other relatives and friends.
A first memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM at King of Kings Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 followed by a funeral service on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mena, Arkansas. Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Park under the direction of Bowser Family Funeral Home in Mena, Arkansas. Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 10:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mena, Arkansas.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to World Lutheran Deaf Outreach https://www.deafoutreach.org/home or made at Trinity Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 1350, Mena, Arkansas 71953 or King of Kings Lutheran Church, 13888 Dreamwood Drive, San Antonio Texas 78233, marked for World Lutheran Deaf Outreach.
Online Guestbook: www.bowserffh.com