Robert S. 'Bob' Warren, 71

Robert S. “Bob” Warren “went home to be with his Savior” on April 16, 2016, his 71st birthday.

Bob, the only child of Robert and Frances Warren, was born in Chicago in 1945 and raised in Rockford, Illinois. After high school he attended Montana State University, earning degrees in agriculture and education. He worked on a weather research station in the Bridger mountains during and after his MSU career, including doing some early work in the field of cloud seeding.

Bob married Cheryln Appley in 1965, who blessed him with a daughter, Kim. For several years he was a physical education instructor in Billings.

Bob was ever the entrepreneur, owning and operating several businesses, including Cream of the West cereal in Billings. Now divorced, he moved to the Mission Valley where he opened Y-Ribs in Polson. There he met Penny Taylor, and the couple were wed in San Diego.

A record- setting high school athlete, Bob was also an avid scuba diver and hot air balloon operator and the first person to successfully pilot a balloon in the state of Hawaii. He will forever be known for his sense of humor and desire to make other people laugh — a trait that brightened many hearts at the Kalispell Dialysis Center, where Bob underwent treatment for many years.

Bob is survived by his wife, Penny; daughter, Kim, and Donnie Alexander; and grandchildren, Ryan Penatzer, Danielle Bangert and Brooke Alexander.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Living Waters Foursquare Church, 2794 Highway 93 N. in Kalispell.