Robert "Bob" Wolthoff

Robert Wolthoff

Robert “Bob” Beke Wolthoff of Layton, Utah passed away peacefully next to his wife in the early morning of July 5, 2021, just days after his 88th birthday.  Bob was born on a farm near Dallas, South Dakota on June 27, 1933 to Edna Frasch and Beke Wolthoff, the fifth of seven children, and later moved to Mitchell, South Dakota.  He married Frances “Eileen” Wittstruck on February 24, 1955.  Together they had four children, Connie Wolthoff, Patricia Thomas (Robert), Paula Spendlove (Greg), and Robert “Mitchell” Wolthoff.

Bob enlisted in the U.S Air Force in 1951 and served for twenty years.  He was stationed at several bases during his service, but most notably in Korea, Washington, Okinawa, Utah, Alaska, South Carolina, Illinois, and Thailand.  He retired in 1972 and moved the family back to Layton, Utah because he had loved the area, especially the mountains, when he was stationed there several years before.

After retiring from the Air Force, Bob worked for Prudential Insurance while he learned to be a locksmith.  He started his own business, Bob’s Lock Shop, and ran the shop from his home and van for more than 20 years.  The lock shop became a family business, with his wife taking phone calls and scheduling the jobs, and his son eventually taking over the business.

Bob obtained a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Weber State College when he was in his forties.  He learned to ski while he was in college and skied at Snowbasin and Powder Mountain.  He also learned to golf.  He loved fishing, camping and golfing with family and friends.  He also loved traveling, boasting he had been to almost all the 50 United States (he missed West Virginia), as well as trips to Germany and Thailand.  He served as President of Trinity Lutheran Church in Layton, Utah and leader of a Boy Scout Troop associated with Trinity Lutheran for several years.  After retiring from the locksmith business, he and Eileen enjoyed spending their winters in Arizona with friends.  When he was home, he volunteered over 1000 hours at the Hill Aerospace Museum.

Bob loved restoring old cars.  He restored a 1937 Chevy, which the family nicknamed “Doodle” because when he got it, it only ran in reverse and doodle bugs walk backwards.  He later bought and restored a 1946 Cadillac limousine that he entered in parades and car shows.  The family favorite, however, was the Maytag Toy Racer.  This was a promotional go-cart type car built with a Maytag washing machine motor between 1934 and 1941.  He found it in rough condition in a junkyard across the road from the Wittstruck family farm.  He got it in running condition and his children had fun memories of driving it.  He later restored it to the original Maytag colors and engine and pulled it behind the 1946 Cadillac in Layton 4th of July parades.

Bob leaves behind his wife of 66 years, three children, nine grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and his three older sisters, Gladys Bassett, Irene LaDue, and Viola Person.  He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Connie, sister Lavonne Randall, and brothers Virgil and George.

Graveside services with military honors will be held Monday, July 12, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch Cemetery at 1718 Combe Road in South Ogden, Utah.  A celebration of life luncheon for family and friends will follow at the home of Paula and Greg Spendlove, 1794 North 6250 East, Eden, Utah.

The family expresses their deepest gratitude to the Visiting Angels, Encompass Hospice and Avamere Mountain Ridge Memory Care.

Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Layton Memorial Park, 1867 No. Fairfield Rd., Layton,Utah.