Robert Lawrence Renberg, age 75, businessman and owner of "Renberg's" Department Store lost his battle to cancer on February 9, 2018. He died at his home in Tulsa surrounded by his family and loved ones.
Robert "Bob" was born October 14, 1942 in Tulsa Oklahoma to George Renberg and Dorothy Zarrow. Bob began his Jewish education at Temple Israel where he had his Bar Mitzvah and was confirmed. He graduated from Edison High School, attended the University of Oklahoma and received his M.B.A degree in Marketing from the University of Denver.
Early in his professional career, he was a marketing professor at California State University in Los Angeles, where he met and later married Nancy Lee. He returned to Tulsa in 1968. Together they had three children but later divorced. He was best known in Tulsa as the "face" of his family-owned specialty department store, "Renberg's". Much like the store, Bob epitomized and embraced both tradition and innovation, but above all style and quality. After being in business for nearly 90 years, Renberg's closed its doors, but Bob never lost his passion and love for fashion, quality fabrics, unique shoes, eyewear, and plain old fashioned good taste. He was an impeccable dresser, appreciated quality, workmanship, and always paid attention to detail.
Bob was a man of the people who never knew a stranger. He was compassionate and kind to everyone he met. He was generous, yet never boastful. He was always the first person to give a compliment to others and very humble. Aside from being a savvy businessman, Bob was an avid music lover, self-proclaimed great dancer, world traveler, foodie, health enthusiast, a reader, a thinker, and hopeless romantic.
Bob was a devoted father and grandfather in every sense of the way. His greatest achievement was his children whom he instilled his virtues in: Be kind to others, always put family first, keep your mind and heart open to love, and most of all, always have a positive outlook on life.
He is survived by his three children: Mitchell and his wife Nancy, Elissa, and Devin and his wife Silvina; his five grandchildren, Lily, Mila, Phoebe, Ike and Benicio; and his siblings Donald, and Sherrie and her husband Jerry.
Services were held on Monday February 12, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at B'nai Emunah Synagogue in Tulsa, OK. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make any donations to your favorite charity in Bob's name, and please visit Bob's memorial website at
http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/robertrenberg/
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Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151