SIOUX CITY — Bob Roe, philanthropist and owner of Bob Roe's Point After, died Monday.
His death was confirmed Monday by a family friend and in a social media post by the restaurant.
"A local legend has passed today. He was hard working kind and charitable," Bob Roe's Point After said in its social media post. "He always gave back to our community. He has touched the lives of many and has left the world a better place."
Rhonda Capron remembered Bob Roe as a Sioux City icon.
"Bob is Sioux City. That's who we want Sioux City to be like," said Capron, a friend of Roe's and a former Sioux City Council member.
Roe, 85, was widely known and beloved in the community for his restaurants as well as his sports philanthropy.
"Bob has been steadfast in this whole community. He was a pillar of the community and he's going to leave a lasting impression," Capron said. "He was just a generous soul that did everything for the good of the community."
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Bob Roe, owner of Bob Roe's Point After, is shown in the restaurant in this February 1999 photo. Roe died Monday at 85.
Robert L. Roe was born April 3, 1938, to Orrie M. Roe and Geneva Alice (Kulow) Roe; he grew up in their home on South Lemon Street, in the Morningside neighborhood where he was a fixture for much of his life.
"He was just a unique individual who cared a whole lot about this community," said Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott.
Roe began working for his family’s business, the Roe Dairy Co., at the age of 10. He graduated from East High School and attended South Dakota State University for two years before transferring to Morningside College to finish his degree.
Roe married Karin Klavano on June 17, 1961. They had three children.
"He loved his family more than anything," Capron said.
Roe was the proprietor of two Sioux City bars and restaurants that bear his name, Bob Roe's Point After and Bob Roe's North End Zone. The Point After has been the place "where good times gather" since 1982. It originally started out in Cecelia Park before relocating to Transit Plaza.
The restaurant offers a comfort food menu that includes pizza, burgers, chicken and ribs. Famous athletes, a U.S. president and at least three generations of Sioux Cityans have dined at the restaurant.
"You see, we've always been more of a family restaurant than a bar," Roe said in 2016. "Folks can bring in the kids and not worry about anything."
President Barack Obama poses for a photo with restaurant owner Bob Roe at Bob Roe's Point After in this Sept. 1, 2012 file photo.
Roe and his wife opened their first pizzeria, Westside Pizza, on March 13, 1977. It is currently owned and operated by their daughter, Terri Rexius.
He said after visiting a chain pizza restaurant with his family there was a market for pizza in Sioux City. He opened Westside Pizza in one of the only buildings he still owned from the former Roe Dairy family business.
"At first, it was just Karin and one employee making pizzas while I made the deliveries," Roe said in 2017. Roe said the pair learned what worked and what didn't before opening Point After.
Roe's grandsons Jason and Jeremy Houser manage North End Zone.
"With Bob Roe as our grandpa, we learned how to make pizza and we learned how to make wings at a very early age," Houser said in 2016.
Bob Roe's Point After has taken home numerous first-place awards in the Siouxland's Choice Awards and has placed in the top three in various categories over the years. The famous Bob Roe's pizza and buffalo wings were fan favorites, made with the original recipes.
Iowa State basketball fans Bob Roe, Amy Weimer and Terri Rexius watch the Cyclones NCAA basketball game against UAB at the Townhouse in this M…
Roe was also known for his volunteer and philanthropic efforts.
"There's a lot of things that Bob did in this community that people didn't even realize he did," Capron said. "He didn't want recognition, he did it because of his heart."
Roe was elected to the Greater Siouxland Athletic Association's Hall of Fame as an athletic supporter.
In 2021 a street was named after Roe. "Bob Roe Way" is located alongside Vine Avenue, between Transit Avenue and S. Linn Street, next to Bob Roe's Point After.
"He has been the icon of Sioux City for over 50 years, if not longer. He has touched everybody's heart one way or another in this town," Capron said in 2021. "He's just the most generous person I know."
Since Sioux City became the home of the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament, Bob Roe's has adopted one team each year, bringing it in for pizza and fun.
Bob Roe is shown at Bob Roe's Point After in this March 23, 2010 file photo. Roe, a longtime fixture in Morningside, died Monday. He was 85.
Parade marshall Bob Roe smiles as he rides in the River-Cade parade in downtown Sioux City in this July 17, 2013, file photo.
Bob was the past president of the local chapter of S.A.B.R.E., and the past president of the Transit Avenue Center Association. He was a member of the Morningside Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, as well as a member of the Scottish Rite and Abu Bekr Shrine.
The Boys & Girls Club of Siouxland was one of Roe’s biggest passions. He served on the board and was involved in their annual Emory Johnson Auction since 1983.
"There's hardly anything Bob wasn't involved in," Scott said. "Bob was always the behind-the-scenes guy making sure kids had Christmas presents, making sure kids could go to baseball games. He wanted to make sure kids had opportunities in this community."
Roe sponsored countless local community organizations and activities, including First Tee, Sioux City Bandits, Siouxland Food Bank, Sioux City Relays, Sioux City Explorers, Sioux City Musketeers, Sioux City Metros, United Way, Siouxland Center for Active Generations, United Way, Boys and Girls Home, and many more. He founded and operated “The Knot Hole Gang," a group of businesses that purchase Sioux City Explorer tickets and donate them to local non-profit organizations.
Roe won numerous awards throughout the years including the Boys Club Distinguished Service award in 1995, the Girls Club Volunteer of the Year in 1994, Floyd Slowpitch Sponsor of the Year in 1994, Hero of the Year Morningside Mass Communications in 1992 and more.
The service for Roe will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, 1200 Douglas St. with visitation take place at 10 a.m.
A celebration will follow the funeral at Bob Roe's Point After, according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page.