Robert Dennis Deitz

Robert Dennis Deitz passed away on March 12, 2026, in Sandy, Utah, at the age of 76. For the last two years of his life, he lived with his sister Denise Olmos, who cared for him through declining health. After a diabetic sore on his foot required extensive attention, he was later diagnosed with dementia, which led to his admission at Sandy Rehab.

He was preceded in death by his wives Carol Deitz and Afton Deitz, their twin children, and his parents Virginia Marie Lovette Deitz and Walter Alfred Deitz. He is survived by the children he shared with his late wife Amara—daughter Anna Deitz Dare and son Robert D. Deitz Jr. and his wife Huyen—along with two granddaughters, Emilie and Ezabell. He is also survived by his sisters Marie Hathaway and her husband Robert, Kay Bird and her husband Ron, Denise Olmos, his brother Walter Deitz and his wife Debby, and many nieces and nephews.

Bob held a deep and abiding love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Despite enduring significant trials throughout his life, he never wavered in his testimony of the Gospel. He found great joy in serving in the temple in Rexburg, Idaho, while living with his sister Marie and her husband Buzz. A naturally warm and outgoing man, Bob loved people and made friends easily; many who crossed his path felt he considered them his closest companion. His introduction to the Church came at age 18 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, when he met the missionaries and, in his characteristic good humor, directed them to his grandmother—setting in motion a wave of missionary work that brought many family members, including himself, into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bob was a gifted swimmer who once saved several lives during a baptismal service in the spring of 1969 on the Black River in Poplar Bluff. When Elder Maughn and the woman he was baptizing were swept away by the current, followed by other missionaries including the elderly Elder Tingey, Bob’s mother urged him to help. He dove into the river and swiftly pulled those in danger to safety. He cherished his many pets over the years—dogs, cows, and pigs—though he never warmed to Arnold the rooster. In his final days at Sandy Rehab, a simple black and white stuffed dog given to him by Denise brought him comfort; he named it Puff, Cotton, and Snowball in turn, treating it with genuine affection.