Robert “Bob” Lyons, a longtime resident of Onalaska, passed away at Franciscan Hospice House in Tacoma, Wash., Nov. 22, 2017, days after his 88th birthday. Bob was born Nov. 11, 1929, in Callaway, Neb., to parents, William and Maggie Lyons. They moved their large family to Onalaska in 1940, where William and the older brothers began working in the timber industry.
Alongside chores on the family farm, Bob began working for his father’s tie mill when he was 15. Two years later, he would drive his first short log truck, the beginning of a long career behind the wheel. Before graduating from Onalaska High School in 1949, Bob developed a lifelong love for football, playing wingback for the Loggers. Following graduation, he continued his work in the woods until he was drafted into the United States Army in March of 1951, where he trained soldiers to drive all manner of vehicles.
His duties kept him stateside during the Korean War. After making many lifelong friends in his unit, Bob was discharged in 1953, reaching the rank of staff sargent. In the previous year, he married Elvina Galster of Mossyrock, Wash., and in 1953, they celebrated the birth of their first son and moved back to Onalaska. In the 1950s, Bob would continue working in the woods, alongside stints of driving dump truck during the construction of the I-5 freeway, Cayuse Pass Highway and the Mayfield Dam.
In 1957, Bob moved his family onto a small farm on Jorgensen Rd., where he and Elvina raised their three sons. In the same year, he purchased his first log truck, hauling until 1962, when he went to work for the Lewis County Road Department. He made what he called “my first big move” in 1964, when he purchased a new Kenworth log truck. After a brief period hauling logs for his brothers out of White Salmon, Wash., he moved his family back to the Jorgensen Rd., farm and continued to truck logs until his retirement in 1995.
Bob was a man of many interests and pastimes. Chief among them were hunting and camping, road trips across the U.S. and Canada, traveling in Europe and avidly following local school sports, especially football and basketball. For many years, he rarely missed a game. He took special pleasure in watching his sons, nephews, nieces and grandchildren play. His grandkids took to calling him “the Godfather” of Ony sports, due to his frequent presence at practices and deadly serious enthusiasm come game time. His dedication to the Onalaska community and school district compelled him to serve on the school board for one term in the 1980s Suffice it to say, he bled purple and gold and had a true, active passion for helping to develop kids into strong, honest and educated men and women.
To his grandchildren, he was always “Papa”, a serious but loving disciplinarian and teacher, a wry and witty card who was quick to laugh, full of stories, history, politics, conversation and instruction of all manner. His interest in and deep affection for his kids and grandkids was beyond question, it never tired nor diminished in quality no matter the trials and tribulations. He was the rock of love and stability that we all held tightly to, in times of challenge and celebration.
Bob was preceded in death by his ex-wife of 34 years, Elvina Lyons; parents, William and Maggie Lyons; brothers, Teddy, Larry, Wayne, Ralph, Calvin (Neil), Everett and Willard (Buck); sisters, Maxine Cox and Delores Rice.
He is survived by brothers, Billy and Roger; sister, Evelyn; sons, Steven Lyons (partner, Mary Bane), Kelly Lyons and Ted Lyons; granddaughter, Allison Lyons; grandsons, Dustin Lyons (partner, Tera), Mark Lyons (wife, Rotem), Daniel Lyons and Tyler Lyons; grandsons, Munai and Sawyer; stepdaughter, Jackie Rose (husband, Murray); and step-grandchildren, Alison Rose and Michael Rose; as well as many nephews and nieces.
Bob knew how to have fun, he knew how to tease a smile and out laugh almost anyone. His longtime membership to the Eagles Club, was all about “cuttin’ a rug” and that he did as often as possible. Dubbed the “Dancehall Doctor” by his adoring and now grieving family, he is no doubt swinging the angels to and fro, with that old familiar grin and those twinkling eyes, beyond the blue in blue suede shoes…
A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., Dec. 9, 2017. at The Mason Jar, 637 Leonard Rd., Onalaska, WA 98570.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Onalaska sports programs at Onalaska School District #300, 540 Carlisle Ave., Onalaska, WA 98570.
