Please pray for the repose of the soul of Deacon Robert Kreps, who died Tuesday, December 7 surrounded by family.
Deacon Kreps was born June 8, 1944 in Bakersfield, CA and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.
He attended Stanford University in California and the University of Arizona in Tucson earning a master’s degree in the Chinese language, and Far Eastern history before joining the U.S. Air Force. He served as an intelligence officer and retired as a Colonel after a 28-year career.
He and his wife Jerilyn “Jerri” were married in 1991 and lived in Romania where Bob was stationed at the time. He retired from the Air Force in 1994 and they moved to Orlando. Deacon Kreps worked for four years as a software developer for Kirchman Corp. in Altamonte Springs and completed a second master's in science and information technology at Barry University in Orlando. He and his wife were parishioners at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park and became involved in ministries there, including the choir, and marriage and baptism preparation classes.
He participated in the diocese’s three year lay ministry program and was commissioned in 2000. He served as the Director of Stewardship, Development and Technology at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park and as the chairperson of the peace and justice ministry.
He discerned becoming a deacon for 20 years but wanted to wait until after his children, Sean and Shannon, were grown before entering the program. He was ordained June 1, 2002 and served at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park. He loved ministering to the sick and homebound, supporting orphans in Uganda and teaching the Catholic faith. He was a lover of anthropology, archaeology, reading, sailing and woodworking.
He is survived by his two children, their spouses and five grandchildren. Funeral arrangement are pending.
