Robert "Bob" William Monson

Robert "Bob" William Monson "Silver Eagle Bob" June, 24, 1940 - January 31, 2021 Bob Monson, of Bend, passed away peacefully at his home on Jan. 31. He was 80. A Recitation of the Rosary will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m., at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, in Bend. Bob was born June 24, 1940, in Detroit, MI, to Edward and Mary Monson. He attended Edsel Ford High School, in Dearborn, MI, with his older brother Ed and younger brother Tom. Bob graduated in January 1958. He promptly joined the Navy, signing up at age 17 with his father's permission. After the service, Bob returned to Dearborn, where he married Esther Flower on Sept. 29, 1962. They were wed at St. Christopher's Catholic Church in Detroit. In 1966, with their three-year-old son Lance, they moved to Kelso, WA. They later relocated across the Columbia River to Clatskanie, OR, where their son, Shawn was born in 1968. Bob worked in the trucking industry with LMT in Longview, WA. They welcomed their daughter, Shannon in 1972. The family moved to Bend in 1977 and then to Culver, where Bob and Esther purchased and operated Big Bob's Drive-In. Bob worked with Silver Eagle Trucking, where he earned the nickname "Silver Eagle Bob," peddling freight throughout Central Oregon. Bob loved the water, be it waterskiing at Lake Billy Chinook or relaxing on a beach in Kauai. He enjoyed watching the waves and was never far from them. Eventually moving back to Bend in the mid-1980s, Bob continued to enjoy the outdoors, mountain biking and hiking, whitewater rafting and RV'ing. Bob retired from the trucking industry, only to work alongside Esther at Bend Tax Service, another business the couple owned and operated, until they retired together in 2005. Following their retirement, they traveled and spent time RV'ing and visiting friends and family along the way. Bob was a Knight of Columbus, as well as a member of the Elks, Moose and the American Legion. He was also a long-time supporter of the Bend Christmas parade. Bob is survived by his wife of 58 years, Esther, of Bend; sons Lance (Stacy Nestle) and Shawn (Rachel) of Bend; daughter Shannon Gilman (Robert), of Bend; 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews in Michigan. Memorial contributions in Bob's name may be made to Knights of Columbus, 1872 Fr. Luke Sheehan Council, 2450 NE 27th St., Bend, OR 97701.

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Robert "Bob" William Monson

June 24, 1940 - January 31, 2021