There was a full house at Sacred Heart Church and hall for the memorial service and celebration of life held for Robert (Bob) John French on Saturday, Jan. 8.
Bob was born at Kleena Kleene, May 29, 1928, the son of pioneers Bob French Sr. and Anna Straube.
Bob’s father drove stage coach from Barkerville around the turn of the century and manned the Churn Creek Ferry before moving to the Chilcotin where he met and married Anna Straube.
Bob Sr. and Anna ranched at Kleene Kleene where Bob was raised, along with his sisters Mary, Maggie and Hilda.
During the Great Depression the family moved to Riske Creek, and later Alexis Creek, so the children could attend school.
Being the only boy in the family, Bob was taught to knit by his sisters.
Later he took pride in knitting part of each of his own five son’s layettes, “just because he could.”
After leaving school Bob cowboyed at Chezacut Ranch which was then owned by his sister Mary and her husband Ollie Knoll.
In 1952 Bob married the local school teacher Diana Endersby. In 1954 the couple moved to Quadra Island where Bob spent some time commercial fishing and working in construction.
In 1956 they returned to Chezacut Ranch and in 1957 Bob began what would become a 31-year career “on the road” working for the Ministry of Highways.
Bob and Diana moved their growing family to Alexis Creek where Bob was one of two grader operators responsible for maintaining all the roads in the Chilcotin.
Bob had the western end, Alexis Creek to Anahim Lake, and all roads between.
In the summertime the family went with him, camping in a travel trailer.
In 1961 the family moved to Anahim Lake where Bob became the road foreman for the newly opened Ministry of Highways maintenance yard there.
That year, for the first time, the Bella Coola road was kept open all winter.
In 1965 the family moved to Bridge Lake, and then to Williams Lake in 1970. “Bob was an especially kind man,” said Bill Telford in his eulogy. “None of the highways crew who worked with Bob over the years ever remember him losing his temper.
“Crews worked long hours in the early days, but Bob always found time for community work, building and flooding community ice rinks or whatever.”
In 1988, when the highways maintenance work was privatized, Bob took early retirement.
He spent the rest of his life enjoying hunting, fishing, gardening, monkey wrenching, and spending time with his children and grandchildren, and their pets.
For two years after retirement, Bob and Diana lived in the Stampede Grounds where Bob was the caretaker. For a couple of years Bob also owned an ice-making company, Mr. Ice.
His volunteer work continued through retirement. He volunteered as a handy man at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin and spent a lot of time fixing things, running errands, and baby sitting for family and friends.
In 2008 Bob and Diana were the Honorary Stampede Parade Marshals.
Bob died Dec. 29, 2010 at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops of health complications following a hip injury.
Bob is survived by his wife Diana, their five sons, John (Heather), Mike (Stephanie), Paul (Tammy), Bill (Alice), and Mark (Angela); 11 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Knoll and Hilda Duggan; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by sister Maggie.