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Dr. Robert H. Reese entered his eternal home on Oct. 6, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Born on Jan. 24, 1933, in Scranton, Pa., he was the son of Merthyn and Ada Reese.
Bob leaves behind an incredible legacy of love, faith and compassion. His wife, Sandy, and his children, grandchildren and extended family grieve his loss but take comfort in the memories, stories and lessons they will carry.
Bob's grandparents immigrated to the United States from Wales in 1910. His grandfather served as a Presbyterian minister to Welsh coal miners at Bethania Presbyterian Church in Scranton, beginning a legacy of faith that remained throughout Bob's life.
Bob loved animals from a young age. As a boy, he had a paper route and a faithful dog that accompanied him each morning through the streets of Scranton. Never one to shy away from a little mischief, Bob and his best friend, Bob Cetta, often found themselves at the center of boyhood misadventures. At 12 years old, the pair hitchhiked from Scranton to New York City and spent the night on a bench in Central Park.
Bob graduated from Central High School in Scranton in 1950 and joined the United States Marine Corps. Following his military service, he attended Keystone Junior College. With a natural aptitude for science and biology, Bob found inspiration in The Circus Doctor, a book that helped set the course for his life and inspired him to pursue veterinary medicine.
He continued his education at Penn State University before attending veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1959, Bob married Mary Cunningham and returned to Clinton County. Together they welcomed three children, Debbie, Nancy and Robert (Bobby), Jr.
For his first year as a veterinarian, Bob worked for Dr. Fretz. In 1960, he started his own veterinary practice in Dunnstown. The early days looked much different from veterinary medicine today. Surgeries were sometimes performed on the kitchen table, and the house was often filled with dogs tied to doorknobs, waiting for their owners to return.
Bob often said he chose Lock Haven after falling in love with the area during drives between Scranton and Penn State. In 1969, the family moved to a farm on the Island Road, surrounded by the mountains and Susquehanna River, where Bob loved to swim. The farm became a gathering place for holidays, birthdays, time in the barn and countless ordinary days that became cherished memories.
Over the decades, Dr. Reese cared for nearly every kind of animal, from cows, horses and livestock to countless beloved family pets. Known simply as "Doc" to many in the community, he took immense pride in caring for animals and the people who loved them.
If you took a ride with Bob along the back roads of Clinton County, he could tell you the name of nearly every farm, the farmers who lived there, how many cows they milked and what illness, injury or emergency brought him there. Those roads held the story of a lifetime spent serving his community.
As veterinary medicine changed, more families sought care for companion animals. In 1974, Bob built Susque Valley Animal Hospital, the first veterinary hospital in Clinton County. While the small-animal practice grew, Bob never lost his love for horses and continued treating them throughout the area.
Bob met Sandy Young in 1977 when she began working at Susque Valley Animal Hospital. Together they continued to build the practice, working side by side at the clinic and on countless emergency calls. Sandy brought Bob immense joy and love when he needed it most.
In 1983, Bob and Sandy married, beginning more than four decades as husband and wife, best friends and confidantes. Together, they raised and showed Quarter Horses and opened their home to dozens of dogs and cats in need over the years. They also rescued and rehabilitated many wild creatures, including birds, fawns, squirrels, opossums and even a bobcat. Their shared love of animals was woven into their life together.
They spent some of their happiest times with their grandchildren, niece and nephew at the farm, sharing their knowledge and love of horses and animals and teaching the next generation to ride, care for animals and appreciate the life they loved.
The Reese family's veterinary tradition continued when Bob graduated from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 and joined his father in practice in 1992.
For Dr. Reese, veterinary medicine was far more than a career. It was a way of life. He loved caring for animals and developed lasting relationships with many of the people and families he served. Dr. Reese practiced until he was 87, in a rewarding career that spanned more than six decades. He was a veterinarian at heart until his final day, leaving a legacy of compassion, care and selflessness that will live on in his family and the many people whose lives he touched.
Bob was a devoted patriot who loved his country and spoke often about how proud he was to be an American. He shared that love with his family and instilled in them the values that mattered most to him: hard work, education, sacrifice, family and gratitude.
Above all, Bob was a man of deep and abiding faith. That faith sustained him throughout his life and now sustains the family who loved him. He often said his greatest accomplishment was that each of his children knew Jesus.
His family takes comfort in knowing that after a life of service, love and devotion to his family, community and the animals entrusted to his care, he is now rejoicing with his Savior and caring for the many animals that surely reside in Heaven.
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Sandy Reese; his children, Debbie Reese, Nancy Johnson and her husband, Kevin, and Bob Reese and his wife, Jacquie; his grandchildren, Elizabeth Arnold and her husband, Seth Ulmer; Brett Arnold and his wife, Kelsey; Laura Kalbach and her husband, Ryan; Brady Reese; Chad Reese; Erin Reese; Tara Phillips and her husband, Cole; Megan Borowicz and her husband, Jacob; Seth Reese and Jeremy Reese; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings.
A celebration of Bob's life will be held Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m., at Grace Fellowship Church, 19 W. Ridge St., Avis, Pa.
Family and friends are invited to gather at the church beginning at 10 a.m. to visit with the family prior to the service.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Gedon Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, LLC., 121 W. Main St., Lock Haven, Pa.
Thoughts and memories can also be made to the Gedon Funeral Homes Facebook page and a full obituary can be found at www.GedonFuneralHomes.com.