March 20, 1945 - June 25, 2025

Robert Dean Starck spent nearly his entire life in Nebraska, a place he loved deeply and documented with quiet devotion. He was born in Lincoln to Alvin and Viola (née Herman) Starck, the third of their children, after Gary Starck and Sheral Riffer.

Bob grew up with a boundless curiosity and a deep love of the outdoors, hunting, sports, and art. He graduated from Lincoln High School and went on to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany, where he explored much of Europe and refined his gift for photography. It was there that his lifelong passion to document the world around him truly began.

Bob's photographs captured everyday people and places, revealing the extraordinary within the ordinary. His most notable work was featured in The Nebraska Photographic Documentary Project 1975-1977, published with Lynn Dance with a preface by Arthur Rothstein. Their photographs followed in the footsteps of the WPA documentarians-simple, straightforward, and honest.

Bob is survived by his son, Colby Starck; daughter-in-law Aimée Starck; and granddaughter Lorelei Starck, all of Chicago. For the past 31 years, he lived on the Winnebago Reservation with his chosen family, who embraced and cared for him as one of their own.

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Published by Lincoln Journal Star on Jul. 13, 2025.

Lincoln Journal Obituaries