Robert Edward Notson, 68, of Tonasket, Washington, went to be with his Lord on June 20, 2017 after a brief battle with cancer. He was at his home with his sister Jean at his side.
Bob was born on February 16, 1949 in Renton, Wash. and raised near there. After graduating from Tyee High School in 1967, he attended Seattle Pacific University. He was just a few credits away from his business degree when he accepted a position at Boeing as supervisor for a number of years. All the while however, childhood memories spent with grandparents in Tonasket were always close to his heart. As a boy, he loved going on calls with “Doc” Nelson to outlying communities and hearing stories that grandpa told him of his practice in the Okanogan Valley. The love of this valley and hard work ethic was instilled in Bob at an early age,
Bob bought the Nelson family home from his father Robert W Notson after his mother Barbara Notson passed. He purchased Gavin’s petroleum in 1992 and began his career in the fuel business. He often said he had the best job in the world delivering fuel throughout his beloved Okanogan Valley. He considered his customers as friends and loved to share stories with them down at the station also. His kind and gentle nature will be missed by many.
He also had a passion for flying. Starting to fly in 1966, he obtained his private license as well as Commercial, Instrument and Seaplane ratings prior to moving to Tonasket. There, he continued to fly and was active in the Tonasket Fly-in for many years.
Bob was preceded in death by his beloved mother Barbara (Nelson) Notson and father Robert Notson, both raised in Tonasket, as well as grandparents Edward and Mildred Notson, Robert “Doc” Nelson and Florence Nelson; uncles and aunts Bruce Notson, Robert and Marjorie Nelson, Marilyn (Nelson) and Bob Canfield, Joyce (Nelson) and Paul Rhodes, Donald Plagerman and his long time companion Carol Summerson.
A Memorial Service will be held on July 22, 2017 at 2 p.m. at the Tonasket Free Methodist Church to celebrate his life with reception following. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Tonasket Free Methodist Youth Fund.
