Robert Anthony Wall

Robert “Bob” Anthony Wall, the most wonderful father and grandfather, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, WA Wednesday morning Sept. 11, 2024. His 97 years were filled with adventure, love and laughter. He was adored and respected by all who knew him. Robert was born 6/29/1927 in Omak, WA to John and Lillian Wall. He is preceded in death by his parents, his ten brothers and sisters, and sons Robert Wall, Scott Jones, Michael McCallum and Michael Roberts. Bob is survived by daughters Renee (Dean)Matson, Teresa Wall, & daughter-in-law Janice Loomis, granddaughters Arijana Wall, Angie Wong (Kyle), Brianna Cadwell (Eric) Jessica Jones, April Sonnek (Adam), & Jaclyn (David), grandsons Philip Matson (Meghan), Drew Doner, Ian Doner(Alex), Brad Wall (Stephanie) & Mike (Quincy), & Mike Sonnek as well as 3 great granddaughters (Maya, Georgia, Emily, & Taualee) and 11 great grandsons (Zachary, Kyle, Marcus, Jason, Carter, Clayton, Reilly, Benjamin, Enzo, Aspen & Bodhi). Bob grew up in Okanogan alongside 8 siblings. He loved the small-town life and spent lots of time with his large and nearby family. He also had several friends from boyhood that remained friends throughout his life including Bob Sutton, Irvin Able and George Frank. He attended Riverside High School where he was a pole vaulter for the track & field team – back in the days where a pile of sawdust was the landing pit. Bob was drafted into the Army his senior year of high school and began service the day World War II ended! He was proud to serve as a Radio Operator. When the Korean War began he enlisted in the Navy and served as an Aviation Machinist during those four years of service. After his military service he operated a garage in Riverside with his friend Irvin Able before starting his 35+ years as a millwright at the mill. Bob was known for his handiness and could typically fix just about anything. He was very proud of telling everyone that his career was “lead millwright”! In 1956, Bob married Alice McCallum and they raised a family in Okanogan. They became life-long friends with their next-door neighbors the Matsons and Littles. The Matsons’ son Dean even ended up marrying Bob and Alice’s daughter Renee. Bob & Alice always enjoyed playing cards and board games with friends and family. They would also frequently travel around the state to watch their grandkids’ sporting events. Bob was a devout Catholic, attending church for decades upon decades in Omak, Tri-Cities or wherever else he may have been on a Sunday morning.He developed a passion for astronomy – building a telescope with an 8” lens by himself. He maintained that telescope for years, grinding the lens himself and figuring out alignments with help from his brother-in-law Orv Swick, who was a computer engineer. Bob eventually gifted the telescope to his great grandson Kyle as he has shown interest in astronomy and astronauts. He also had a passion for woodworking – spending hours upon hours in his shop at their Okanogan home. Bob was very skilled in lathing – turning hundreds of decorative bowls and gifting them to family and friends. He crafted many beautiful items like jewelry boxes, chests, desks, tables, benches, crosses and more. He built rocking chairs to welcome each of his great grandchildren to the world while also making them rocking horses and toys over the years. Bob taught his son Robert the love of woodworking and the two collaborated in the shop constantly to create amazing pieces. The duo loved visiting wood stores and lumber yards searching for beautiful pieces of wood. On top of that, the Bobs both shared high standards in woodworking and were sort of perfectionists, as they lived for the payoff of seeing people’s reactions to gifts they crafted. The love of woodworking eventually spanned generations with multiple grandsons picking up the hobby and Bob handing down lots of wood and tools to them. After Alice’s passing in 2009, Bob relocated to the Tri-Cities area and lived with Renee & Dean and would also spend some time at his son Bob’s home (and his woodshop) in Vancouver, WA. He continued to regularly attend church and enjoyed daily walks – including some with the Matson family dogs. Bob enjoyed some travel at this time as well, often visiting grandkids and their families and even joining his son Bob & Jan on trips to watch his grandson Brad compete for the Eastern Washington track team at meets all over the Western United States. If he wasn’t in the woodshop, Bob likely had his nose in a book. He loved reading, and was interested in every subject area from Astronomy to Zoology. He also especially loved music and had a joy for singing, taking part in the Esquire Men’s Choral in Omak in his younger days and Troubles Be Gone singing group while in Richland. He was always up for an adventure; whether it was rock climbing, hang-gliding, parachuting, snow or water skiing, or piloting a plane (taking part in some pilot lessons in his younger days). A proud and loving grandpa, Bob was constantly generous, sending grandkids and great grandkids Birthday or Christmas checks, taking them out for meals and ice cream cones and crafting several woodworking pieces for them. In 2012, Bob married Ellen Nelson Wall and returned to the Omak area, where they spent almost 10 years together. Bob continued to enjoy some woodworking projects while playing games and watching game shows with Ellen prior to her passing in 2022. For his last few years, Bob moved back in with Renee & Dean in Richland and would also spend some stints in Vancouver with Jan, Bob & Teresa prior to his son Bob’s passing in October 2023. He continued to enjoy attending church, reading, playing dice games and walking – though his walking mileage declined from the typical 3-4 miles to half a mile after his hip surgery. Bob will be greatly missed by all and will always be remembered for his faith, generosity, positivity, infectious laugh/sense of humor, spirit of adventure and familial orientation. His motto will be remembered by all his friends and family, “My job is just to love”. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, Sept. 27 at 11AM at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Okanogan – lunch will follow at the church. A rosary will be held on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 4-5 PM at River Valley Funeral Home.

Robert Anthony Wall

June 29, 1927 - September 11, 2024