Robert Stiefvater
Dates
September 16, 1938 - November 11, 2025Obituary
Robert “Bob” Stiefvater, 87, of Plankinton, SD, died peacefully at home on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in Plankinton under hospice care from complications related to multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. A remembrance service was held on November 16, 2025, in Plankinton. A graveside service with Honor Guard will take place in the spring.
Bob Evan Stiefvater was born in Plankinton, South Dakota, to Arthur and Velma (Hopkins) Stiefvater on September 16, 1938. He graduated from Plankinton High School in 1956. That same year, he joined the United States Air Force, beginning a career in service that spanned nearly 22 years.
While stationed in Keflavík, Iceland, Bob met Rose-Maria (Jorgensen), a Danish national who worked at the Icelandic Embassy. She would become his beloved wife of 65 years. Together they raised three sons: Robert Jr., born at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and twins Ricky and Kenneth, born at Laon-Couvron Air Base in France. Upon returning to the United States in 1966, the family was stationed at Minot AFB in Minot, North Dakota.
In 1970–71, Bob served a year at U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Thailand, where he was exposed to Agent Orange, a chemical that ultimately contributed to the cancer that took his life. While Bob served overseas, the family lived in Marina, California, before being stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California.
Bob served in the Security Police and was a highly skilled competitive marksman. While stationed at Vandenberg, he was a member of the Strategic Air Command team that won Best in the Air Force and later contributed to the team that earned Best in the World honors in marksmanship. Though he once joked that his recruiter asked if he liked planes—but didn’t mention he’d be guarding them—Bob fulfilled his dream of becoming a pilot while at Vandenberg, often thrilling his family with scenic flights along the California coast.
In 1975, Bob was granted a humanitarian transfer to Ellsworth AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota, to be closer to his ailing father. He purchased the family farm and moved back to Plankinton, where he had enlisted two decades earlier. After retiring from the military, he continued serving others for 16 more years with the South Dakota Motor Carrier Enforcement Division.
In 2000, Bob and Rose-Maria began spending winters in Yuma, Arizona, joining a close-knit community of friends and fellow RV travelers. Known for his quiet kindness, Bob was a man of few words, a wry smile, and a helping hand. His love language was acts of service—whether repairing computers in the RV park, troubleshooting mechanical problems, or lending a neighborly hand. An engineer at heart, he had an uncanny ability to understand how things worked—and how to fix them when they didn’t.
Bob had a deep love for family, travel, genealogy, movies, Mac computers, and all things tech. He spent the first 17 years—and the last 50 years—of his life in Plankinton, apart from winters in Yuma.
He is survived by his wife, Rose-Maria; sons, Robert Jr. (Ruth) Stiefvater of Durham, NC, and Kenneth and partner Jason Knezel of Denver, CO; brother, Larry, and partner Virginia Ayers of Evanston, IL; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Velma (Hopkins); his son, Ricky; daughter-in-law, Ronna (Snyder); sister, Norma Jean (DeKay/Moreland); sister-in-law, Kirsten Blem; and brother, Edwin.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Aurora County Cancer Fund. The family wishes to express heartfelt thanks to the Avera Cancer Team and hospice nurses for their grace, compassion, and care.
