Bob Reimer, 90, sat in his lawn chair Sunday holding little American flags, waiting for more than 20 members of his family to pull in at Touchmark on South Hill, a senior and assisted living community, on Father’s Day morning.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Touchmark was determined to make Father’s Day special, hosting a parade with the theme “Dad, You’re a Reel Catch.” Families showed up more than an hour early to finish decorating their cars with signs, markers and even a life-sized “Star Wars” stormtrooper balloon.

As Reimer’s family passed by, he walked up to each car, handing them a flag and saying hello.

Reimer moved into Touchmark six years ago with his wife, who died three years ago. While he stays busy spending time with friends, volunteering at the Red Cross and having Friday night happy hours with his family each week, the COVID-19 outbreak has limited what he can safely do.

Staying home so much has been “lonely,” Reimer said, something his three sons know well.

Bob Jr. said his parents for years would host a big family dinner where anyone could drop by. Some weeks the crowd would be more than 20 people, while others saw just 10 family members. Now they all try to stop by for the happy hour Touchmark hosts on Fridays, keeping the tradition alive.

“We’ve been limited in how much time we can spend with him,” said another son, Don. “It’s been hard – like withdrawals.”

Bob Reimer spent 21 years in the Air Force before retiring in 1970 and starting work for the Department of Social and Health Services. He retired from that work at age 60.

“Since then, my wife was trying to get me to go do something because I was always under her feet,” he said.

In 1993, he began volunteering at the Red Cross. Until the pandemic hit, Reimer was volunteering four days a week, keeping up their fleet of cars and organizing their emergency trailers.

“When it opens up, I’ll go back to volunteering four days a week,” he said. “I’d rather be out doing something. I give credit to the Red Cross for allowing me to live longer and have something to do. If I had sat around, I might not be here.”

Most of Reimer’s family rode in the parade Sunday, including his three sons, six grandkids, 14 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.

The parade wasn’t just for family members of Touchmark residents: It included friends, acquaintances and some classic cars.

Steve Simpson drove his yellow 1974 dune buggy with a bumblebee painted on the front that he affectionately calls “The Stinger.” Simpson’s mother-in-law, Irene Sloan, lived at Touchmark until she died two weeks ago at 97.

Even though Sloan is gone, Simpson said he has made friends at Touchmark over the 23 years he visited his mother-in-law.

“You meet people over the years. Just ’cause you lose your mainstay person, you don’t lose your friends here,” he said.

The cars started moving at about 10 a.m. as country music blared inside Touchmark’s courtyard.

Residents sat, spaced 6 feet apart, as the cars did a loop around the senior living facility’s roundabout.

Darlene List’s daughter, Linda Bertoli, decorated her car with a Hawaiian theme. The List family celebrates most holidays with a Hawaiian theme, including List’s 90th birthday last year.

For the parade, “Hi Mummsley,” the family’s nickname for their mom, was written on the side of the car.

Kathie Burch decorated her car with the Marine Corps flag for her husband, who spent 24 years in the service.

Burch’s husband is 92 years old and has dementia, so it has been a difficult few months not being able to visit him every day with their Shih Tzu.

“They take very good care of him,” Burch said.

But not being able to see her husband has been “terrible,” she said. The couple FaceTime, but it’s not the same as having the puppy sit on his lap, Burch said.

The parade was at least something to get excited about, she said:

“He’s looking forward to it. It’s better than nothing.”

Up the block, Ken and Kammi McClenahan stood outside their 1948 GMC pickup they call “Li’l Farm Truck,” waiting to join the parade. The couple participate in Touchmark’s vintage car shows, even though they aren’t close friends with any residents.

“You know, they learned to drive on these things,” Ken McClenahan said of his pickup and Touchmark’s residents.

Residents often have a special connection to the cars that the McClenahans and their friends bring.

Their friend, Don Howland, organizes a group of vintage car owners to attend a variety of events and car shows.

Kammi McClenahan called Howland the group’s “social and fashion director.” Howland is the third owner of his 1951 Oldsmobile.

The three friends said they love attending Touchmark events, but afterward get calls asking if they’re ready to move in.

“They call, and we always say we’re not ready yet,” Kammie said with a contagious laugh.