Robert 'Bob' Earl Lowther Sr., 79

Robert "Bob" Earl Lowther Sr., 79, passed away on Thursday, April 26, 2007 in Sandpoint, Idaho.

In honor of Bob's request there will be no services.

Bob was born June 19, 1927, in Parma, Idaho, to William and Mary (Bixel) Lowther.

When he was two months old the family moved to his mothers birthplace in the Clark Fork River Valley.

Bob attended school in Clark Fork, and in his sophomore year, 1945, enlisted in the Merchant Marines. He traveled throughout Southeast Asia on the steamships SS Cape Race and Henry L. Grant until his discharge in 1946 as a seaman second class.

Bob met Doris Johnson when he returned to Clark Fork and they were married in 1949 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. They made their home briefly in White Salmon, Ore., and then moved back to Hope where they raised their two boys.

Bob was a heavy equipment operator his entire life. He often lived away from home for extended periods of time in logging camps, and built the original Schweitzer Mountain Road, and many of the forest service roads going into the mountain lakes of the area. He loved to fish for trout in the streams surrounding Clark Fork and for bluebacks in Lake Pend Oreille. His home away from home was Toby's in Noxon, where he had a lot of friends.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Doris of 39 years, and his brother Ray Lowther.

He is survived by his brothers Dick and (Phyllis) Lowther of Moses Lake, Wash.; Russell Lowther of Tulsa, Okla.; his sons James and (Kimi) Rodger of Clark Fork, Idaho; Bob and (Roxie) Lowther of Sandpoint, Idaho; four grandchildren Rebecca and (Scott) Morrow, Marcus Lowther, Chase Lowther and Travis Lowther.

Family and friends are invited to view Bob's obituary and sign his online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.