Robert Eugene Claus

FREEDOM

Robert E. Claus passed away peacefully on May 31, 2017, at age 72 after a long battle with cancer. Born in Edinburg, Texas, the son of James and Imogene Claus, Robert graduated from Edinburg High School and joined the Navy in 1965. After training in San Diego, he served as a radioman in Vietnam with duty on the USS Long Beach and the USS Truxton. He later had shore duty in Naples, Italy, and served on the USS Brewton and USS Moinester in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. While in the Navy, he married Virginia Shields and had two sons; they divorced in 1979. After thirteen years of active duty, Robert served in the Naval Reserve in Little Creek, Virginia. He went back to school, completing a BA in Sociology at Norfolk State University in 1984. Never wanting to drive down the same street to work every day, Robert joined the U.S. Department of State as an information management officer. His first assignment in the Foreign Service was to the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, where he met his future wife Janet Beik; they married in 1988. Robert’s overseas postings included the U.S. Embassies in Lisbon, Portugal; Banjul, the Gambia; Kampala, Uganda; and Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Robert also served in Washington, DC, as a training instructor, as branch chief of logistics, and as special projects coordinator for the State Department’s Bureau of Information Resource Management. He retired in 2002 with 35 years of U.S. government service. He then enjoyed his status as a “trailing spouse” when Janet was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands in 2007, with the opportunity to visit much of Western Europe. In retirement, Robert and Janet moved to Freedom, PA in 2012. A natural storyteller, Robert loved meeting new people, visiting family and friends, travel, photography, and watching football. He is survived by his wife Janet, his mother Imogene, his sister Linda (Bob), his sons Larry (Viv) and Jared (Stacy), four grandchildren – Damien, Kaelan, Joshua and Madison, and friends around the world. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by SAUL-GABAUER FUNERAL HOME, INC., on line condolences may be offered at www.saul-gabauer.com