Toni Cox
Robert LaBrie Edwards was born to Clairbelle and Ernest Edwards on February 13, 1940, in Portland, OR. He was the youngest of four brothers and one sister and was raised by his mother.
Bob met the love of his life, Beverly Ann Reams in 1958. They married in 1960.
He worked at The Bank of California in downtown Portland as a young man, but retired after working more than 30 years at Freightliner.
Bob and Bev raised their three daughters in Portland until 1972, when they finally built a house on acreage they purchased years before in Banks, OR. Bob was a city boy, longing to be a country boy. He enjoyed raising beef cows, a pony, pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, ducks and geese, but he favored raising sheep. He enjoyed cutting wood to heat their home, building fences and outbuildings, driving his tractor, growing an organic garden and doing anything farm related.
In 1997 Bob and Bev moved to Lyle, WA, where they built a home in High Prairie. They were very involved in the community. They enjoyed participating in the “Firehouse Sale” where they worked to raise money for the local fire department. Bob made bird houses and grew tomato plant starts to sell.
He enjoyed plowing snow from the rural road in front of their property and plowing out neighbors’ roads and driveways. Bob was a big believer in neighbors helping neighbors. He attended a local church in Lyle, WA.
Bob enjoyed playing tour guide to out-of-state friends and family, with the Oregon coast, the Columbia Gorge, Hood River and the High Prairie area being some of his favorite areas to show off.
One of the highlights of Bob’s life was playing Santa Claus. He rode on the fire truck in parades in Lyle, jumping out to meet the children with a bag of goodies and a fist full of candy canes.
Bob and Bev loved cruising and traveling, especially road trips, visiting many states in their motor home. They enjoyed a 50th anniversary cruise to the Mexican Riviera with 19 family members just weeks before he lost his bride to cancer in 2010.
In 2019 Bob’s health began deteriorating so it was necessary to move into assisted living. He lived at Glenwood Place in Vancouver for five years before passing away on April 24th, 2024, at the age of 84.
Bob is survived by his daughters, Toni Cox, Dawn Ewers, Melanie Maguire, sons-in-law, Jim Cox, Steve Ewers, and daughter-in-law, Tina Gannon, grand children Amanda Sallee, Adam Ralston, grand daughter-in-law, Haley Wolverton, and great grand children Korbyn and Delontea Sallee, and Stella and Emmy Ralston.