Robert “Bob” David LaRue (Colonel, USAF, Ret.), 85, of Lebanon, IL, born on April 23, 1941, in Sacramento, CA, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at his home surrounded by his family.
Bob grew up in the Sacramento area and lived on a ranch with his parents and brother. He always spoke fondly about his horse, Dusty, and his dog, Lassie. After high school, he attended American River Junior College and then transferred to Linfield College in Oregon. Knowing the Army was likely to draft him as soon as he graduated, he out-maneuvered them by enlisting into the Air Force as an officer. It was during his early years that he became a fan of Lash LaRue, a TV and movie cowboy star. That’s where he got his nickname, “Lash”.
Bob enjoyed 26 years (1964-1990) in the Air Force and was first stationed at Lackland AFB, TX, where he attended Officer Training School. Next his training took him to Keesler AFB, MS, for communications. His first real assignment was to the 2045th Comm Group at Andrews AFB in Maryland…that’s where he met his wife. Alice had applied for a secretarial position in Civil Service at Andrews….and guess who hired her? Bob! He wouldn’t date her while she worked for him, but after she transferred to another office, he called her up and asked her out on a date. That first date was Oct. 22, 1966. By Christmas, they were engaged and married on Apr. 22, 1967.
Together, their next assignment was to Wildwood AFS in Kenai, Alaska. During the 2 years there, son Michael was born and Bob enjoyed some of the best King Salmon fishing ever along with a couple of encounters with moose and brown bears! From Alaska, they went to Keesler AFB, where daughter Jennifer was born. Not much to say about Keesler, except it was hot and muggy!! After Keesler, the family of four went to Fairborn, Ohio, for a year where Bob attended the Air Force Institute of Technology and received his Master’s Degree. Richards-Gebaur AFB, south of Kansas City in Missouri, was the next stop. Here is where the LaRues became KC Royals fans. To this day, son Mike is still a Royals fan!
Rumor had it that AFCS Hq was going to move to Scott AFB in Illinois, which all we knew was that it sat in the middle of a cornfield. So Bob decided to do another “out-manuever” and go to Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, in Montgomery, AL, instead. Another 1-year school assignment, after which Bob was selected to be the Commander of the 2067th Communications Squadron at George AFB, Victorville, CA.
Up till this point, Bob had never been on a “remote” assignment, so he volunteered to go to Osan AB in Korea, while Alice and the kids stayed in base housing on George AFB for the year he was gone. It was in Korea that Bob fell in love with running races! He ran 5K, 10K, any kind of K, and lost so much weight doing so, that his family didn’t recognize him when he came home on leave! Jennifer ran right past him at the airport! Being on a remote assignment meant that Bob got to choose his follow-on assignment, and he chose Hickam AFB, Hawaii!! Moving to Hawaii in 1981 was the #1 favorite assignment. The kids loved the beach, Bob ran 4 Honolulu marathons and lots more “K” races! The family visited several of the other islands, and to this day, Jennifer still calls Hawaii home! Bob was assigned to the Pacific Command and later DCA (now DISA) at Camp Smith. After almost 4 years in island paradise, Bob’s next assignment arrived – to Scott AFB in the middle of the cornfields!!!
Bob and his family arrived in Illinois in 1985 and initially resided in Belleville. After being on the base for a while, he was selected as one of a handful of personnel to create the United States Transportation Command! By far, his all-time favorite assignment and the one he is most proud of. When the Command was up and running, Bob was the first J6 (in charge of Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems) and his signature is still on the original plank of the Command. In 1990, Bob was offered a position at the Pentagon. With a son in the U.S. Army and a daughter about to enter her Senior year of high school, Bob decided that after 26 years, it was time to retire.
Initially after retirement, Bob worked for a Contractor, doing much the same work as he did on active duty. In 1992, the family moved to O’Fallon, IL. Health issues with his parents in California forced him to travel back and forth for a couple of years. Once back home, he thought about what he wanted to do next. How about Real Estate, he said. Why not!
Bob spent another 21 years (1995-2016) working as a Realtor in the O’Fallon office of Strano & Associates, Real Estate. It is here that he really found his calling. He loved meeting and talking to people, finding people a new home or selling an old home. The Strano family of Realtors was like no other. Bob found a new home and a complete second career. And he was good – earning Rookie Realtor of the Year! He learned by doing, and then mentored other young, new Realtors. In 2002, Bob and Alice built what they called their retirement home in the quaint, college town of Lebanon, IL.
In 2016, Bob was diagnosed with 3 different cancers and 1 lung disease, so he decided it was time to retire completely. His optimistic attitude got him through his cancer surgery and he required no treatment. With time on their hands, Bob and Alice began to travel. In 2017, they celebrated their 50th Anniversary in Hawaii. In 2018, a life-long dream came true when they took their first Viking river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest and finally got to see some of Europe! 2019 was the year of Michael’s 50th birthday, so the three of them went back to Alaska where Mike was born. Highlights of another Viking cruise to Paris in 2022 were standing on Omaha Beach, visiting Normandy and the American cemetery. Jennifer went on her 50th birthday trip with her parents, a year late, in 2023 to (not Biloxi) Hawaii.
Bob was hospitalized in June 2025 and began requiring oxygen 24/7. Not being as active as he’d like to be, Michael sold his condo and moved in with Bob and Alice to help around the house. Bob fought several cancers, lung diseases, kidney disease and finally heart disease for 10 years. He did it with optimism and an “I’ll beat it” attitude. Many called him a miracle man because he survived for so long with so many major health issues and just kept going.
If you knew Bob, you knew he loved his sports. Cardinals baseball, “St. Louis” Rams football, Nebraska college football (mandatory for marrying Alice who was born a Cornhusker)! He was still watching PGA golf and the Cardinals play right up till the end. From his humble beginnings on a ranch in California, all Bob ever wanted was to have a family, provide for them, and protect them. And he did it so well. Bob was still writing notes of instructions for Alice and the kids in his last few weeks, making sure they knew exactly what to do after he was gone. Job well done, Colonel!
Preceding him in death are his Father, Christopher M. LaRue; Mother, Eula D. (Brooks) Sweet; Step-mother Eloise (Susie) LaRue; and Step-father, Herbert Sweet; nephew, Christopher LaRue.
Surviving Bob is his wife of 59 years, Alice (nee Duffield) LaRue; Son Michael David LaRue; Daughter Jennifer Rene LaRue; Brother Melvin Lee LaRue; Step-sister Terrie (Jim) Humphrey; Nephews Dyas and Danny LaRue; Cousins-in-law William Duffield, Steve (Melinda) Duffield, Michael (Rhonda) Duffield, Shannon (John) Fonda, and Paul (Char) Duffield; other precious family members; and so many dear friends, neighbors and former Realtor associates.
The LaRue family would like to thank BJC Hospice Care, and particularly Nurse Donna, for the excellent care they provided Bob and his family in his last few weeks.
Memorials may be made in Robert’s name to BJC Hospice Care; https://www.foundationbarnesjewish.org/Give-Hospice, or The Hettenhausen Center of the Arts; https://www.mckendree.edu/the_hett/make-a-gift.php. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.schildknechtfh.com.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., at Schildknecht Funeral Home; 301 S. Lincoln Ave., O’Fallon, IL 62269. Family and friends are invited to come celebrate the life of Bob (Lash) LaRue.
Interment will be in Hollst-Lawn Cemetery in Yutan, NE, his adopted home state, at a later date.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Schildknecht Funeral Home.
