Robert "Bob" Paul French

Robert "Bob" Paul French, age 78, formerly of La Grande, died September 10, 2004 at his home in Milton-Freewater. A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 15, 2004 at the Pioneer Methodist Church, 209 E. Birch, in Walla Walla, Washington with Pastor Leon Alden officiating. Private family services will be held in the Milton-Freewater Cemetery.

Mr. French was born on July 13, 1926 in Jamestown, New York to Raymond and Grace (Allen) French. His boyhood years were spent on his beloved Lake Winola in northeast Pennsylvania. As a senior in high school, he joined the Army Air Force Cadets and was selected to participate in the pilot cadet program.

During World War II he spent time in Fort Myers and Amarillo, Texas. His last year in the service was spent in occupied Italy working in a prisoner of war camp where he started a baseball team for POWs and US Army Air Force officers.

On August 21, 1955 he married the love of his life, Ann Lee Rhone, in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. In 1962 the couple and their three children moved to Sutherlin, where Bob taught social studies at Oakland High School. In 1964, with a fourth child, the family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota and Bob obtained his second master's degree from the University of North Dakota.

Returning to Oregon in 1965, the family lived by the McKenzie River where Bob was the guidance counselor at McKenzie High School for two years. In 1967 the family moved to La Grande where Bob worked for the Educational Service District as a counselor and career specialist for 14 years. In 1981 he moved to Newberg where he served as head of the counseling department at Newberg High School until his retirement in 1990, when he and Ann moved to Milton-Freewater.

Bob loved being outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, golfing and gardening. He loved airplanes and flying. He coached many baseball and soccer teams, most recently helping his son coach his granddaughter's soccer team. He loved to travel, managing to visit 49 of the 50 United States, as well as Canada, Mexico and Europe. He was a devoted Christian, a member of the Pioneer Methodist Church, a life member of the American Legion Post 24 and VFW 3456 of Milton-Freewater.

Bob took great pride in his family and loved them very much. He often said the smartest things he ever did were "to marry Ann Rhone, get an education, mover to Oregon and make a lot of friends."

Bob is survived by his wife, Ann; their children, Kim and Eldon Slippy of Summerville; Ted and Gwen French of Colorado; ERic and Lynne Pierce-French of Huber Heights, Ohio; and Bruce and Laura French of Sparks, Nevada; ten grandchildren; six great grandchildren; brother and sister-in-law, Ray and Miriam French of Kirkland, Washington; many nieces and nephews and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by both a brother, Ken, and a sister, Nancy.

The family suggests donations to the American Heart Association.