Robert Gordon Boyd Simpson, 85

It is with profound sadness that his daughters announce the death of Robert Gordon Boyd Simpson, on July 19, 2020. He passed peacefully in the presence of family from a longtime illness.

Bob was born Feb. 26, 1935, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He lived, worked and raised his family in the Post Falls and Rathdrum area. He graduated from Rathdrum High School with the class of 1953.

Dad is preceded in death by his parents, Hazel Fern (Hurt) Simpson and Charles Andrew Simpson and brothers, Gene Simpson, Jim Simpson and sisters, Fern Tuttle and Lois Lyons. His surviving siblings are Rita (Simpson) Daugherty and Cody Simpson.

He was married to Donna Joan (Cooper) Myers for 32 years. Together they had six girls: Becky Jane (Mark) Stoke from Blacklick, Ohio, Barbara Joan (Mike) Brunette from Spirit Lake, Idaho, Brenda Janet (Bill) Quay from Lincoln, Mont., Bonnie Jean Simpson, Eugene Ore., Beth Julie (Bill) Allen from Lincoln; and Caroline Fern Simpson from Spokane, Wash.

Bob and Donna had 21 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

He was a boxer and football player in high school and he taught himself to play the guitar, dabbled in the art of homebrew, and kept his love of horses up to the end, often telling his family stories of his all-time favorite horse team, Clifford and Bill.

Bob grew up in a horse-loving family of loggers. He started his horse logging business as a young man, eventually working at Kaiser Aluminum then as a supervisor for Louisiana Pacific Inc., in Post Falls, Idaho. He left that job and moved to Lincoln, Mont., where he started a family-operated sawmill business, eventually moving back to his beloved Rathdrum home and retirement. He attended church at Rathdrum Bible Church. Bob could not seem to stay out of the woods, keeping his firewood business up until his late 70s.

Bob loved to regale his six girls and eventually 21 grandchildren with his guitar. They all remember him playing and singing “Why Me Lord” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

When Bob was asked what he wanted to be remembered by, he replied “my love for my family.”

This will be inscribed on his headstone.

Bob was a generous and cherished man, who will be missed by many.

His funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2020, at Bell Tower Funeral Home, 3398 E. Jenalan Ave., Post Falls, followed by the graveside service at the Rathdrum cemetery with a wake to follow.