Robert Courdney Hobart

Robert Courdney Hobart was born March 29, 1937, in Kamiah, Idaho. He grew up with the perfect small town upbringing. He would leave home early in the morning, jump on his bike, and go fishing with his cousins. When the fish stopped biting, the cousins would spend the rest of the day swimming, playing, and getting into lots of mischief. He attended Kamiah grade and high school. He went to work for a local farmer at age 14, and bought his first car (a 1937 Chevy Coup) the same year. He worked in service stations and the sawmill before moving on to the "woods." As a logger in the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests, he did everything from setting chokers, to running dozer and fallling trees. In between he also did some bartending.

A brief early marriage ended in divorce and a son, Robert Eugene (Bobby Gene) died in infancy.

On November 28, 1959, he married Constance (Connie) Nickel. they had two children, Michael and Patricia. In 1964, they "starved" out of Idaho. The Forest Service won't let you on the logging roads when they are wet, and in hot, dry weather, you have to be out of the woods by 11:00 a.m. when the dew is gone (due to fire danger). And it was an unusually wet year, followed by sudden hot and dry weather, which resulted in no work and no money.

With two small children to raise, the family moved to Portland and Bob went to work for International Harvester as a mechanic. One of the hardest adjustments was gettting up and going to work when it was raining as that just wasn't done in the woods.

Their first home was on 86th & Wygant and they moved to their present home in 1971. Here he began his quest for the perfect yard and the ultimate tomato garden! That year son Mike, went out that year for track and brought the shotput home to practice with. You should have seen the look on his face when that 8 pound steel ball would disappear into his lawn!

When daughter Patty was six years old the neighbor came over with a calico kitty to give away. I said no way and when she started crying I told her to call her Dad at work and ask him. If anyone disliked cats more that me, it was Bob. I should have known better as he never said no to Patty her whole life and we still had "Calico" when Patty left to attend college.

Bob worked for 9 3/4 years for IH before they sold to Howard Cooper Corp. Payline Division. When they closed the Payline Div., the crew was moved to Howard Cooper's corporate headquarters on N.E. Killingsworth. He had a total of 27 years in when they went out of business in 1991. During this time he worked as a mechanic, shop foreman and yardman. After the bankruptcy he worked for the bank disposing of HCC assets.

He was a man who seldom had to apply for a job as employers came asking him to come to work for them and that happened again when the General Manager for Case Power & Equipment asked him to come to work for them. During his time there the compnay was sold to Western Power and Equipment and retired as Machinery Manager in 2002.

Bob was a devoted grandfather to Jennica and Janice. He even took time off work to attend their school functions and this was a man who was never late or missed any work. Some of his best times were vacations to the beach or Red River in Idaho with his girls. He loved taking the girls fishing, flying kites, and helping with their homework. He was a champion Easter Egg Colorer. Every Christmas, Bob and daughter-in-law, Renee enjoyed taking Jennica and Janice on the search for the perfect Christmas tree. (And every year they came home with a "Charlie Brown" Tree). He also enjoyed spending time with great-granddaughter, Payton & Hannah Crowe.

He is survived by his wife Connie, son Michael (Renee), daughter Patricia, granddaughters, Jennica (James) and Janice (Jason) and great-granddaughters Payton & Hannah, sisters Doris Drake, Boise, Idaho and Elaine (Gary) Day of Salem.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Feral Cat Coalitions or the American Cancer Society are suggested.

Arrangement under the care of Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes, Portland, Oregon.