Robert "Bob" Dean Smith

Robert "Bob" Dean Smith, 50, of Othello, died Thursday May 31, 2007, as the result of a tragic accident.

Robert was born on Nov. 30, 1956, in Furstenfeldbruck, Germany, to Bobby D and Edeltraud (Rytzek) Smith. Bob's father was serving in the U.S. Air Force at that time so the family moved often throughout the United States and Europe. Bob graduated from Medical Lake High School in 1974. After graduation from high school, he moved to Hemet, Calif. and began working with electricity by wiring travel trailers. He returned to Spokane and attended Spokane Community College and graduated with an A.S. in Industrial Electricity. Upon graduation he was employed as an Industrial Electrician at Iowa Beef in the Tri-Cities area. In 1985 he was hired as an apprentice by Washington Water Power, which later became AVISTA, and has worked for them since. He moved to Othello in 1988.

Bob was extremely active in outside sports; running, skydiving, motorcycle racing, mountain biking, ice skating, rollerblading, sea kayaking, wind surfing, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, and BMX racing and everything involved his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed working with steel whether it be fabricating furniture, building his shop, rebuilding engines or most recently completely customizing his Suburban. Everyone who knew him knew he was the safest man and everything was always checked twice. He always said, "It's not worth risking your life." But mostly he will be remembered for being passionate and loving about his family and friends; a man who loved unconditionally, Bob was always ready to help someone that needed it, especially his children and grandchildren. He was always more concerned about other people than he was about his own well-being. Bob enjoyed carrying on family history through his storytelling, and all of them were true, even the funny ones. No one was allowed to enter his house without giving him a hug, and it had to be a good one too. He also loved and cared for his animals, currently two dogs, two birds and a cat. Bob was also active in the community; he belonged to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Electricians Union and the Othello Rotary. At the time of his death Bob was helping Hiawatha Grade school with an annual school experiment, in which he had participated the last 15 years.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, whom everyone knew as Oma and Opa. He is survived by his sons Nigel, 31, and Trevor Smith, 22, both of Othello, His daughter Seasons Smith, 21, of Othello, his little brother Eric Smith and Family of Lynnwood, Wash., his older sister Ellen Buchanan and Family of Snohomish, Wash., and his two grandsons, Nicholas and Brayden.

A final visitation will be held at Stevens Funeral Chapel on Thursday June 7, 2007, beginning at 1 p.m. and concluding at 7 p.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday June 8, 2007, at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with burial to follow at the Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens. Everyone is welcome to attend the services. Services are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Chapel in Othello.