Missoula – Robert Alan (Bob) Larson, 66, of Missoula passed away February 23, 2017 at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula after a lengthy illness.
Bob was born in Missoula on April 16, 1950, to Charles L and Bettijane Larson. He was raised on Missoula’s north side, attending Whittier grade school and Hellgate High School. Bob was a very energetic person learning to play baseball, basketball and horseshoes (city youth champion), each of which he played into adulthood, and his favorite sport, football! Bob excelled at football and developed a life long love of the game. After his freshman year, the family moved to his grandfather’s farm in Stevensville where Bob attended Stevensville High School, there he played both basketball and football. After his sophomore year, the family moved back to Missoula; however, Bob loved Stevensville so stayed on with his grandfather and graduated from Stevensville High in 1968.
Bob enlisted in the US Navy, and after torpedo school was assigned to the USS Halsey with a Westpac rotation and a goodwill tour of South America. When the Halsey underwent overhaul, Bob volunteered for assignment to the USS Anderson. The Anderson was deployed to the Vietnam Theater; there Bob participated in over 70 naval bombardment missions of the DMZ and North Vietnamese coast, and participated in the Linebacker I campaign where the ship and crew received numerous citations. After his enlistment was up, Bob was honorably discharged from the Navy. He was deeply proud of his service to his country but struggled with the effects of the Vietnam War until the day he died. Bob then enrolled at the University of Montana where he graduated in 1977 with a degree in business administration. He then began his career which included working for several retail companies in management and several finance companies. Bob eventually went to work for the University of Montana and worked there until issues from the Vietnam War forced him to retire.
Bob was an avid outdoor sportsman his entire life. He liked to ski, hunt and especially loved to fish. Bob also taught many kids and adults how to fish. Bob was a huge, lifelong fan of Grizzly football and in later years, a Seattle Seahawk fan. Bob was always a happy go lucky guy with a good sense of humor, joking around and carrying a smile on his face which continued through to his very last day.
Bob was preceded in death by his grandparents and father, Charles Larson.
He is survived by his mother Bettijane Larson, Missoula; sister Janice (John) Hurst, Caldwell ID; brothers Rick (Emily), Missoula and Randy, Nampa ID; nephews Chris Campbell, Missoula, Bryan (Sherren) Campbell Boise ID, Eric (Lindsay) Larson West Palm Beach FL and Mark Larson, Missoula; niece Jennifer Larson, Clinton, UT and great nephew Logan Larson West Palm Beach FL; numerous cousins, close friends Joe McKay, Dick Clark and Shaffer family; numerous other north side and Stevensville friends and many other lifelong friends.
Services will be held at St. Paul Lutheran church on Friday, March 3rd at 11 a.m. with a reception following. Internment will be at 2 p.m. at the Montana Veterans Cemetery, with full military honors. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittuneralhome.com.