Robert P. Cassidy's Obituary
Robert (Bob) Cassidy passed away on December 7, 2020 at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas with his family nearby. Bob relocated to Dallas in January 2018 after losing his beloved wife Donna to ALS in November of 2017. He was the most wonderful caretaker to Donna during her five year battle with ALS and lived the model “Till death do us part”.
Robert Parker Cassidy was born in Blytheville, Arkansas on October 28, 1937 the son of Paul (Parker) and Mildred (Jarratt) Cassidy. He married Donna Baldwin on August 23,1959 in New Madrid, Missouri. He was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Finance and began his career with Manchester Community Bank in Manchester, Missouri.
In 1964 Bob, Donna and their two young sons moved to Clinton, Iowa where he and his father Parker co-founded Clinton’s first and Iowa’s largest home-owned discount store Paul’s Discount. The addition of Paul’s to Clinton’s west end on Highway 30 spurred additional commercial development and the area would later become known as Clinton’s Miracle Mile. Bob and his father Parker were true entrepreneurs driving shoppers through the doors of Paul’s with loss leaders such as loaves of bread, rose bushes, motor oil and countless other items. They focused on a no-frills operation with their motto “Stack it high and sell it low”. Bob and his father grew the business to include three expansions of the original store and the addition of a new store in Iowa City, Iowa in 1981. Bob retired as President and CEO of Paul’s in 1999.
When living in Clinton, Bob was an active member of First United Methodist Church and Clinton Country Club where he served on the Board of Directors and was a past President. He served on the Board of Directors of Clinton National Bank from 1974 to 2006 and was the Chairman of the Audit Committee. He was also a member of the National I-Club and became a loyal Hawkeye fan after arriving in the state of Iowa.
Upon retirement in 1999, Bob and his wife Donna spent their Winters in Daytona Beach Shores Florida. They made many new friends and he looked forward to family get-togethers, his regular golf games at Sugar Mill Country Club and bridge at the New Smyrna Beach Community Center.
Bob spent the final three years of his life as a resident of The Forum at Park Lane in Dallas, TX. Wherever Bob lived he had a way of quickly connecting to people by engaging them in conversation and making others feel good.
Bob is survived by his two sons Robert Jr. (Tammi) of Bluffton, SC and Richard (Donna Miles) of Dallas, TX. He was very proud of his grandchildren Kristin, Ryan (Madeline), Keegan, Bridget and Jack (Amanda). He is also survived by brothers-in-law Terry Baldwin, Joe (Dottie) Baldwin and sisters-in-law Gaila (Jerry) Kelso, Sue (Walt) Freed, and Rita Baldwin. He was preceded in death by both parents and wife Donna.
A private family service will be held at the Clinton Chapel Snell-Zornig Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Clinton Lawn Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Kristin Cassidy, Bridget Cassidy, Ryan Cassidy, Jack Cassidy and Keegan Cassidy. Honorary pallbearers will be Joe Baldwin, Terry Baldwin, Al Goerdt, Richard Forrest, and Ron McGauvran. There will be no public visitation due to Covid-19 restrictions. Condolences may be mailed directly to the family or in care of Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory. In lieu of flowers, it is suggested that memorials be made to First United Methodist Church in Clinton or the Clinton Area Showboat Theater.
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