Larry Wolfe

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Robert “Bob” Molter and his family relocated to Champaign, Ill., when he was eight. He spent the rest of his childhood and young adult years there, graduating from Champaign Centennial High where he played baseball for the Chargers. He then attended the University of Illinois, earning a degree in accounting in 1977. That year turned out to be a great one for Bob. Not only did he get his degree, but he married his college sweetheart Krista.

Bob earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license but initially was a corporate Internal Auditor and later Senior EDP Auditor for Montgomery Ward in Chicago. After five years, he accepted an auditing position with Zurich Insurance Group. Three years later, he joined The Signature Group, holding positions as EDP Audit Supervisor, Systems Analyst, and Audit Manager. He finally entered public accounting in 1991, working as an Internal Audit Manager and Solutions Manager for Arthur Anderson & Co. Bob was with that company for nine years before accepting an internal auditing position with Syngenta, a provider of agricultural science and technology, in particular, crop protection and seeds. Their international management headquarters is in Basel, Switzerland, but Bob worked at their North Carolina offices in Greensboro and Research Triangle Park. He held various management positions in internal auditing and supply chain financial management. Bob called his 16 years with Syngenta the most challenging and interesting of his 40-plus-year career in accounting and finance. It allowed him to “see the world,” as he handled assignments in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). Bob retired in 2018, and he and Krista moved to Sun Lakes shortly thereafter.

Bob played a lot of softball as a young man but stopped in his early 30s to concentrate on his family. Krista and Bob have four children and eight grandchildren. Jenny and Paul’s families live nearby in Chandler and Gilbert, while Josh and family live in North Carolina, and Russ and family are in Chicago. All the kids were heavily into sports, and Bob was very involved, coaching them in baseball, softball, basketball, and soccer. He and Krista are still very “family-focused,” doing lots of hands-on grandparenting with the locals and traveling every year to spend time with the out-of-towners. They take their RV on those trips and combine the family visits with adventures along the way. Recent examples include white water rafting in Colorado and spending time at a bison farm in Iowa! They also do periodic “whole family” vacations, renting large condos in resort areas like California, Florida, and the Carolinas.

Bob has always been a big baseball and softball fan. From being a Durham Bulls season ticket holder to currently volunteering as an usher at the Los Angeles Angels spring training games to being a key player in our league, he enjoys every aspect of the game. But he says family time is still his number-one focus—always was and always will be!