Robert H. Heien, Sr.,79 of Sioux City, Iowa passed away Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at a local care facility, surrounded by his family. Services will be held 6:00pm Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the Waterbury Funeral Service of Sioux City, 4125 Orleans Ave.

Robert (Bob) Heien, Sr. was born October 25th, 1944, to John and Virginia Heien.  Bob grew up in Merrill Iowa and attended school in Merrill and Le Mars, Iowa.  Bob moved to Sioux City and married Carolyn Graves in 1965. He worked for auto dealerships early in his career before finding his life-long passion of driving.  Bob worked as a route delivery driver of uniforms, towels and linens for Clean Towel Service, that company became FW Means, then Aratex and later rebranded Aramark. Bob had a 20 yr. career driving various types of trucks on routes through small towns in NW Iowa and all points South and East of Sioux City in an 80 mi radius. What was next started as just something to do for fun, Bob drove the fan trams at a local Dakota Dunes golf tournament.  Fan Trams became a rapidly growing business with rentals for the passenger trams at spectator events from coast to coast.  Bob and a few of the guys that initially started at Dakota Dunes soon were driving trams at events all over the US from major PGA to NASCAR events, gone for weeks at a time.  Wanting to be home more, Bob went to work for the Sioux City Community Schools as a bus driver for a number of years, and also drove the courtesy shuttle for the Argosy Casino evenings as well.  During the summers off from Sioux City Schools, Bob spent those months at his trailer on Leech Lake in Walker, MN fishing and yes, driving.

Bob began delivering campers and boats across Minnesota for a Walker, MN RV dealer.  A number of years later and another opportunity to drive something different, Bob went to work for Siouxland Regional Transit System - SRTS.  From transporting folks to appointments in Sioux City, Omaha and Sioux Falls, to transporting special needs individuals to various destinations, Bob loved to drive and had his regular passengers that became longtime friends.  When he wasn't driving for work, he was usually found in the company of his beloved pickup truck, cleaning, polishing and driving it to family and friends near and far, going to area destinations for a meal, or just cruising around town, anything to be driving.  His work, interest and hobby was driving.  Nothing else interested him like being behind the wheel and in control. Bob drove commercial vehicles until health reasons ended his career at age 77. Daily he continued to say he wanted to get back to work driving.

Bob is survived by his ex-wife Carolyn with whom he had a rekindled friendship; his children: a son Bob Jr and his wife Julie Heien of Sioux City, a daughter Jodi and her husband Jon Nelson of Jefferson, SD; 5 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; siblings: Sheryl Hansen and her husband Darrell of Hinton, IA.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Don Heien, Jack Heien, Jim Heien; sister, Joretta Harms; sisters-in-law, Charlotte Heien and Roberta Heien; brothers-in-law, Norman Blackmore, Raymond Harms and George Graves Jr.