Bob grew up in Fortson, WA, Ketchikan, AK, and Darrington, WA. Due to his mother's terminal illness, he moved in with his sister and brother-in-law, Gertrude and Charlie White, when he was in the fifth grade and was raised by them. It was during this time that he accepted the Lord as his Savior while attending church with his sister.
He loved football, playing and lettering in both that and baseball during all four years of high school. We enjoyed hearing his stories about working and living on the Sturgeon farm on the Sauk Prairie, handling minks when working for Otto Klein, and driving truck for Oliver Satra, just to name a few. He met and fell in love with Mary Terhorst, and their first date was set up by Mel and Ruth Koster. Bob served honorably in the U.S. Army. Following his discharge, he and his new wife made their home in Arlington.
He applied at the U.S. Forest Service on a whim in the early 1950s and, a short time after being hired, Bob and Mary moved to Darrington. It was there that they raised their three daughters. He believed in community participation and served as a member and chair of the Darrington school board, served on numerous advisory boards, and helped build the new ball fields at the Darrington high school. When he and Mary moved to Marysville in 2005, the Darrington Town Council recognized him for his unwavering interest in the affairs of the town.
Bob was a man of integrity, and he taught his girls to always do the right thing even if it wasn't popular, to respect authority, and to treat everyone fair regardless of their social, ethnic, or economic standing. He was supportive of his family's interests and never criticized their work product. Bob was an avid reader and instilled a love of reading in his daughters. He was a faithful husband to Mary for over 57 years, a devout and supportive father, and a proud grandfather.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Mary. He is survived by his children, Sherry and Ed Dusek, Gail and Rick Lorenz, and Sonya and Steve Kraski; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Monday, November 29, 2021, at the Marysville Gospel Hall, 5202 116th St NE, Marysville, WA.
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