Robert P. Grow

His father was employed as a surveyor for the U.S. government and for the Utah Highway Department. Since this was in the middle of the Depression, he went wherever there was any employment. After Bountiful, the family moved to Vernal, Utah; Boise and Nampa, Idaho. In 1944, they moved to Lewiston, where his father supervised the construction of a frozen food plant. Bob attended school in Lewiston from the third grade on, graduating in 1953.

He spent his free time as a caddy at the local golf course, delivering newspapers and delivering prescriptions for a drug store. Summer vacations usually involved working on his Dad's survey crew or working in the cold storage department of the frozen food plant his father later managed. After high school, he attended Brigham Young University, majoring in civil engineering.

In 1955, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Because of his survey experience, he was assigned to a survey section. After two years in the Army, he returned to Lewiston.

He married Marilyn Barney and they moved to California, where he worked for Pacific Gas and Electric. He was involved in surveying for the construction of hydroelectric power plants. He also worked on several dams, access roads and power houses. While in California, he worked for Stanislaus County Public Works Department as a subdivision and plant inspector, and later as a traffic engineer.

After his divorce in 1976, he left California and returned to Lewiston. He worked as an engineer for James Grow and Associates, his brother's engineering and surveying company. When they opened a second branch in Kennewick, Bob moved there to manage that office.

In 1978, Bob married JoRae Benedict Wyant in Moscow. The ceremony was officiated by a close friend, Judge Roy Mosman. In the 1980s, Bob and JoRae moved to Mesa, Ariz. He was employed around the Phoenix area, plus two years in California. He semi-retired in 2003 and was self-employed as a consulting civil engineer.

Bob enjoyed traveling to various parts of the world. One trip was an 80-day freighter trip to Africa. He enjoyed playing golf, old cars, computers and renovating old Airstream trailers. Bob and JoRae moved home to Lewiston in 2014 to be near family.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Blanche Dickenson and Rosemary Grow; two brothers, James Grow and Don Grow; and one stepson, Clay Wyant.

He is survived by his wife, JoRae; two brothers, Alan D. (Anne) Grow and David Grow; three sisters, Carol (Tom) Kearney, Kathy (Larry) Gray and Janet Burgess. He is also survived by three children from his first marriage, Thomas (Tami) Grow of Arizona, Laura Grow Hammond of Colorado and Robert Grow Jr. of California; as well as one stepson, Kurt Wyant of Washington. Among the survivors are many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bob's sense of humor and warm personality will be missed by those who knew and loved him. The same people hope they will be reunited with him one day.