Arthur Bourassa, 81

Arthur (Art) Bourassa, 81, passed away Thursday, April 13, 2023, from complications of vascular dementia. He was surrounded by the love of his son, Scott, and daughter Tracy.

Art was born Aug. 21, 1941, to Arthur N. and Margaret Bourassa in Scobey, Mont. They moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, while Art was in junior high. While growing up in Sandpoint, he participated in many high school activities and athletics, enjoyed hunting and fishing and worked a variety of summer jobs.

Art graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in forestry. This is also where he met the love of his life, Judy Allwardt, who he often said was his wife, partner and best friend. They married Dec. 30, 1964, and were married for 55 years. After their wedding, they moved to Fort Lewis, where Art had volunteered to serve his country. They were soon relocated to Hawaii. While Art was finishing his training with the Army, their daughter, Tracy, was born. Soonafter, Art was sent to serve in Vietnam.

After his tour in Vietnam, Art and his family moved to Colorado Springs. His job with the Forest Service soon gave them the opportunity to live in many different communities. Placerville, Calif., was where their son, Scott, was born. They then moved to Trout Creek, Mont., and were later transferred to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, where they lived for 18 years. It was during this time that Art and Judy taught their kids to hunt, fish, drive, ski, garden, camp and raise a variety of farm animals.

Once the children were raised, Art and Judy moved with the Forest Service to Sandpoint, where he was the ranger and enjoyed reuniting with his old community. His next assignment took him to Orofino, Idaho, where he also worked as a ranger. While there, they made great friends and enjoyed boating and fishing. Dad particularly loved his weeks working out of the Kelly Creek workstation, which was located on the Clearwater River. They later moved to Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Wash., to care for Judy’s mother.

After Art retired from the Forest Service, they returned to his hometown of Sandpoint. Art and Judy built a comfortable home on a piece of property that they had purchased several years earlier. Art found great joy in gardening, working in the yard, creating a welcoming habitat for many varieties of birds and planting his own small forest, which has now been formally named “Art’s Forest” by the new owners and his dear friends. If he wasn’t working on the house, he was probably on one of his daily bike rides, walks, hiking one of the local trails, picking huckleberries or going for a ride in the mountains.

Art is survived by his children, Tracy Erb of Meridian, Idaho, and Scott Bourassa of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; his four grandchildren, Kameron Erb and Kathryn Erb, both of Meridian, and Elizabeth Bourassa and Emilie Bourassa, both of Bonners Ferry; his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Eileen Bourassa of Columbia City, Ore.; and his sister-in-law, Carol Bourassa of Newport, Wash. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Art and Margaret Bourassa, and his brother, Wes Bourassa.

Art was a friend to all and was known for his kind heart, ready smile, easy spirit, hearty laugh, big hugs, zest for life and his beautiful blue eyes.

The family would like to thank everyone for their endless support as Art navigated and accepted all of the challenges that living with dementia presented him. He proved himself to be an extraordinary human being.

Art requested that there be no service, but instead wished that everyone would get out there and live their life to the fullest, with love in their heart and a smile on their face. Please visit Art’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.