Robert Bob Vish, 54,

passed away at his home in Kalispell on March 5, 2010. He was born Sept. 24, 1955, in the small town of Vulcan, located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Bob s family moved to Montana in 1960. He was raised in Whitefish and enjoyed all of his school years there. He was a history buff, an all-star baseball pitcher and also enjoyed playing football as a proud Bulldog. When Bob was 18 years old, he entered the U.S. Air Force, serving as a security specialist in Minot, N.D. He additionally served a four-year term in the Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kittyhawk, as an air traffic controller. Bob had many happy memories of his West-Pac cruises, especially the initiation he experienced when they crossed the equator. Returning to the Flathead, Bob was employed at Plum Creek Timber Co., for several years and then accepted a position with Semitool when it was a very young company in the valley. He grew with its strides and enjoyed his final position with Semitool as the Asian sales support manager where his responsibilities covered Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and China. Loving history as much as Bob did, he loved the travel aspect of this position, marveling at many discoveries, including the Great Wall of China. He opened his home to many of his foreign clients who had never experienced a backyard campfire, venison steaks and a starlit Montana sky. Through the years Bob s career continued in sales and marketing with Craftsman in Wood, Artisans Custom Doors, Century Tel, Snow Creek Tractor Co., and Montana Rifle Co. To describe Bob as an avid outdoorsman would be an understatement. Hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, snowshoeing, canoeing, cutting firewood ... these loves defined him and offered him his greatest peace of mind. He also loved wood working and had made several beautiful pieces of furniture for his family. Bob had an wonderful sense of humor and truly enjoyed creative cooking ... we never knew what his turkeys would be stuffed with at Thanksgiving. Other interests included gardening, canning, smoking fish, and listening and dancing to all types of music, but old classic country was his favorite. Bob was a great father, brother and friend. He loved people, wanted happiness for everyone and always said, Today s going to be a good day ... Bob was blessed with two beautiful children whom he loved with all his heart, Adam Vish, 14 years old, of Kalispell, and Nicole Vish, 24 years old, of Milwaukee. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank Vish; mother, Alice Marston; and brothers, Chuck and Leo Vish. He is survived by his brother, Gary Rabey, and wife, Connie, of Wellsburg, N.Y.; his sister, Lyn Root, and husband, Stan, of Choteau; and brother, Shane Marston, of Kenosha, Wis. A memorial service for Bob and his family will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 13, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Main Street in Kalispell. A reception will follow at the church. The family requests that memorial contributions toward an educational fund for his son, Adam, can be sent c/o his mother, Carol Vish, to 1236 Fifth Avenue East, Kalispell, MT 59901.To send a note of condolence to the family please go to www.buffalohillfh.com, where this obituary will run on the Web site at no charge to the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.