Robert Gale 'Bob' Drew, 89

Robert Gale “Bob” Drew of Kalispell, 89, passed away on July 26, 2013, at Immanuel Lutheran Care Center. 

Bob had been residing at Edgewood Vista Memory Care since April of this year, but was transferred to the Immanuel Lutheran facility after a bout with pneumonia.

Bob was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 2, 1924, to Hattie and Harry Drew, the second of five children. He had an older sister, Ruth, and three younger siblings, Harry, Jeanne and William. When Bob was about 5, the family moved to Stevensville, and later to Missoula, where Bob attended elementary school and high school at Hellgate High where he graduated in 1941. Bob loved sports and played some baseball and basketball and participated in track.

After high school, Bob attended railroad telegraph school in Jamestown, N.D., and went to work for the Northern Pacific Railroad. The job of a telegrapher was to relay communications about the movements of trains as they traveled from station to station, and Bob began his work when the big iron horses were still on the rails. 

In one of his assignments at G.N. Crossing, he met his future wife, Maxine Miller of Kalispell, also a railroad telegrapher stationed at East Helena. They married in Missoula in 1947 and were married for 66 years. A daughter, Cheryl Diane, was born to them. At that time, Bob was stationed at St. Regis, where he spent the rest of his career as the station agent, until he retired in 1991.  Bob saw the railroads undergo several mergers and many changes.

Bob loved St. Regis. He loved the rivers and creeks and the woods — no one loved a picnic like Bob, Maxine had to fix fried chicken, potato salad and chocolate cake — his favorites. When he and Cheryl went on a picnic, it was a bologna sandwich and a bag of chips! He loved to fish the streams in the area and nothing delighted him more than a nice mess of trout. 

Bob was an excellent photographer and chronicled the lives of the family on film. Bob and Maxine took summer vacations to Seattle, California, Oregon, Utah and Colorado, with Bob shooting photos all the way.

Music was a big part of Bob's enjoyment of his life. Bob and Maxine, both being music lovers, accumulated vast collections of records, tapes, CDs and reel-to-reel recordings. 

As a young man, Bob had taught himself to play guitar, and he played in several dance bands around St. Regis. To his young daughter, Cheryl, it was like having a rock star for a dad! Bob was a huge Chet Atkins fan and collected all his music and performances. He also bought and learned to play an organ.

When Cheryl was young, she jokingly began to call her parents Ma and Pa, after the Kettles of movie and TV fame. The monikers stuck and Bob was called Pa the rest of his life.

In his 30s, he discovered the great passion in his life — golf! He loved the game and worked hard to become a competitive player. He played with his two brothers and other friends all summer, usually on the university golf course. He and his family — mom, sisters, brothers, nephews, and nieces — had more fun together than anyone can imagine, golfing, picnicking and swimming. Bob played golf until he couldn't play anymore due to health issues.

Not one to sit idle, Bob decided to teach himself to use a computer in his 70s. He spent hours in his office in the Drew home in Kalispell, teaching himself the ins and outs of the electronic-age gizmos. Bob was a whiz with electronics, and had an elaborate system of VCRs, DVD players, TVs and stereos, and spent hours every day programming his system to record TV shows, movies, games and music programs. Being a huge “Star Trek” fan, he had all but one episode recorded on VHS tapes. Other favorite shows were “Twilight Zone,” “MASH,” “Cheers” and “Gilligan’s Island.” He loved the Boston Celtics when Larry Bird played, the Chicago Bulls and Joe Montana. He followed the Grizzly football and basketball teams.

Bob and Maxine had lived in St. Regis, Superior and Missoula, before moving to Kalispell in the early ‘90s after they both retired. In recent years, Bob and Maxine loved to just ramble around the country exploring roads, lakes and streams, and had a boat and several summer places on nearby lakes. Bob loved dogs, and their dog, Sweetie, was always along. Bob had several other dogs throughout his lifetime, always much loved —Tip, Thumper, Happy-go-Lucky and Todd.

Bob was a great and much-loved dad, a loyal husband, a dedicated son, a sharing grandpa, a loving brother and uncle. He, his wry sense of humor, competitive spirit and inventive genius will be greatly missed by his family. 

He is survived by his wife, Maxine, his daughter, Cheryl Lee, a son-in-law, Jim Trepina, all of Kalispell, two grandsons, David Poll of Gillette, Wyo., and Robert Joseph and Nicole Poll; two great-granddaughters, Vella and Ever Adelyn Poll of Sheridan, Wyo.; his brother, William Drew, of Missoula; and sisters-in-law, Bonnie Drew and Anita Drew; nieces, Sandy and Oran Lien, Janice Van Riper and Mike Molloy, Terri Smith, Debbie and Russ Henderson, and Carol and Tim Kruse; nephews, Bob and Connie Olson, Allan and Chris Drew, Don and Julie Drew, Mike and Michelle Olson, and Doug Drew; and numerous great-nephews and great-nieces. He also leaves behind his beloved Jack Russell terrier, Sweetie.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Hattie and Harry Drew; sisters, Ruth Cornish and Jeanne Schoeneck; and brother, Harry Drew.

Cremation has taken place. Bob's graveside memorial service will be at 1 p.m. on Aug. 17 at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery in Kalispell.