He is preceded in passing by his parents, Phillip and Gladys Thurston; sister, Donna (Herb) Haasarud;
Robert (Bob) is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Beverly Thurston; children, Sandra Rodriguez, Mark (Sherrill) Thurston, Scott (Doreen) Thurston, Greg (Cheryll) Thurston, Jamie (Amy) Thurston, Dani Thurston; grandchildren, Stephanie, Josh, Laura, Tim, Katy, Zeke, Kiera, Leighton, Shauna, Nathan, Natalie; 11 great-grandchildren; and many other family members and friends.
Bob grew up in North Minneapolis and graduated from Patrick Henry High School. The following year Bob enrolled at the University of Minnesota and would graduate with a Statistics Major. Shortly after graduating from college, Bob enlisted in the United States Army from 1953-1955 and was stationed in Baltimore, where he achieved the rank of Corporal as he served in the areas of Counterintelligence and Forensics.
While serving in the Army, Bob married Beverly Ann Adamson on November 28, 1953. Bob and Bev lived in a few different locations before settling in Fridley in 1961, where they would raise their six children. His love for Bev was always evident – even to the final days of his life. Bob and Bev enjoyed more than 70 years together as Husband and Wife. Bob worked hard to support and nurture his family, and still found time for fun. There were trips to California, fishing on the Rainy River and the Lake of the Woods, and even some camping. Bob always supported his kids in whatever they wanted to pursue. His support and presence at games, concerts and plays will always be remembered.
Bob worked as a Computer Systems Analyst with Univac and Honeywell during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. He also taught Computer Science at Brown Institute and spent the last 25 years of his working life at Douglas Corporation as the Head of Quality Control.
The greatest love of his life was his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! He was selfless, generous, caring and sacrificial as he lived his life day to day. Bob was a student of God’s Word, a self-taught theologian. His biblical studies led to numerous articles being published in Evangelical Periodicals. Many of Bob’s activities have been devoted to deciphering the origins of biblical literature and using mathematics and statistics in problem solving. All these combined led to the writing and publishing of the book titled “Unlocking the Great Mormon Mystery” in 2008.
Join us for Bob's funeral service on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at 11:00 am at Edinbrook Church, 4300 Edinbrook Parkway, Brooklyn Park. Visitation will start at 10:00 am and luncheon will follow the service. Private Interment in Morningside Memorial Gardens.
