Robert John De Toy

Bob De Toy died at home on January 4, 2004,
after a ten year battle with leukemia. He
was born April 20, 1933 to Camiel and
Clemence De Toy at their farm near Magnolia,
Minn. The De Toy’s ninth and final child,
Bob graduated from Pipestone, Minn. High
School in 1951. He joined the Army as an
infantryman and went overseas immediately
to serve in the Korean war. A dedicated
military career included tours of duty in
Vietnam, and awards of the Purple Heart and
Bronze Star among many decorations.
Following military retirement in 1974,
Bob continued his service to the nation
in the Defense Communication Agency, from
which he further retired in 1988, earning
the Exceptional Civilian Service Award.
Bob married his beloved Lois Buhring of
Arriba, Colo. January 3, 1954, and that union
was blessed with seven children, Kathryn of Herrin, Ill.;
Jeffrey and his wife Victoria of Springfield;
Denise of Springfield;
Jonathon and his wife Anne of Loveland, Colo.;
Matthew and his wife Anita of Choctaw, Okla.;
Brian of Lawrence, Kan.;
and Jennifer of Santa Cruz, Cal.;
as well as ten grandchildren and a
great-grandchild, all of whom survive him.
He is also survived by a brother-in-law,
Donald Ciancio, of Broomfield, Colo.;
sisters-in-law Dorothy, Freda, and Wanda De Toy,
all of Minn., and many nephews and nieces.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents,
brothers Lou, Frank, Pete, Tom, Dan, and Dick,
and sister Clara. Bob’s sister Josephine joined
him later the same day.
After retirement in 1988, Bob and Lois moved,
first, to a small ranch near Marshfield where
they pursued the country life of their youth and,
second, to Springfield. Bob was kept busy with
woodworking and numerous volunteer activities,
notably within his Catholic church and
St John’s Hospital.
He was a 40 year member of the Knights of Columbus,
serving as a Grand Knight and District Deputy.
He also served as President and Treasurer of the
St Vincent de Paul Society, and as a member of
the Holy Trinity Men’s Club.

A soldier for both God and Country,
Bob will be laid to rest in the Missouri Veterans’ Cemetery,
south of Springfield. In lieu of flowers,
Bob requested that memorial donations be made
to the Holy Trinity Catholic Church Building Fund
or St John’s HospiceCare.
Visitation will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church
in Springfield Tuesday, Dec. 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Jan. 7
at 9:30 a.m., also at Holy Trinity.
Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of arrangements.