James L. Robb, 87

James L. Robb, 87, passed away Feb. 12, 2023, at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland Wash., surrounded by family members who loved him. He passed knowing Christ as his Savior, and had confidence that he would see these loved ones again.

Jim was the only child born to Herbert and Mildred Robb on Oct. 15, 1935, in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He grew up helping his dad at the Farmers Co-Op Exchange while his mother worked as a school secretary. He spent many hours fishing with his dad including a yearly trip to a lake in Minnesota. His parents introduced him to many family trips and adventures. He continued this tradition with his own family and had many summers setting out on long road trips, usually to either Wyoming or Iowa, with a car full of kids. They usually started out very early in the morning, like 3 a.m., with the kids already sleeping in the canopy of the truck so he could beat the heat of the day.

Looking for work landed him at the Forest Service in North Idaho for a summer in 1956. He returned to work there the following summer and found his lovely, soon to be wife at the Jitterbug club in Osburn, Idaho. He married Helen Kay Rasmussen at the Hitching Post in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Dec. 14, 1957. After various jobs, including a mail route he did in Wardner, Idaho, for three weeks (he could still tell you the route and the customers names) he was hired on at the Bunker Hill Zinc Plant on Jan. 8, 1959. Providing for his family was something that was always near and dear to his heart. He even worked a second job bartending at the Happy Landing and the Kellogg or Wallace Elks Lodges. After the Bunker closed, he worked in many towns as an assayer including Challis, Idaho, Deming, N.M., and Bagdad, Ariz. He retired from the mining industry in 1997 and moved to Kennewick, Wash., to live centrally to his kids.

Jim enjoyed many things in life, including spending time with family, fishing, golfing, and following the rodeo circuit, both PBR and NFR. He was very particular about his day sheets, they had to be filled out perfectly and kept as souvenirs. He had a knack for telling a story. His sense of humor is something that would press upon everyone he met. His stories were always one for the books. He would tell about times he met celebrities, details from everyday people and friends, trips to Cuba and Florida in the 1950s, and many adventures with his son with extreme accuracy. His facts about trees, birds, rocks and minerals, including the scientific names, were always an amazement. One of the ways he impressed Kay when they met was teaching her the scientific name of the Douglas fir, Psuedotsuga menziesii.

Jim was cantankerous, ornery and very particular on how things were done, but even more noteworthy about Jim was his oversized heart. He loved a good underdog story and would often tear up when he heard one. He was the heartbeat of the family and he had a very strong bond with them. He was extremely proud of them and never missed an opportunity to make sure they knew. Even some of his last moments were expressing how much he loved his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, and how proud he was of them all. Some of his last words were expressing that he was going out just as he had wanted, surrounded by loved ones and having one last beer.

To quote one of his favorite pictures “Pull it one more mile” that was taken about 1917 in an underground mineshaft, the horse was totally blind as were all such horses due to a lifetime in total darkness with the quote “I will pull it one more mile” and that is just what dad did for us.

Jim is survived by his wife of 65 years, Kay; his children, Kathy (Rick) Hawkins, Kevin (Rachel) Robb, Karla (Terry) Wright, Kelly (Chuck) Pollard and Kristen (Mike) Warner; 18 grandkids and 19 great-grandkids.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Richland Seventh-day Adventist Church with a meal to follow. Life Tributes Cremation Center in Kennewick is in charge of arrangements.

Plans for a celebration of life will be held in the Silver Valley in Idaho. Dates to follow.