Robert Gerald Fowers

Robert Gerald Fowers, Bob, as he was known to family and friends, has completed his mission on this earth. He passed away at home in Bountiful, Utah, surrounded by his loving family on June 28, 2025. In true Bob fashion, he was so ready for his next adventure that his family nearly missed his departure. He was 85 years old and was a humble and diligent servant to our Heavenly Father.

He was born "one morning in the drizzlin' rain," as he liked to say, in the bustling frontier town of Driggs, Idaho, to doting parents-the fierce and fiery Alice Wanona Barton and the rugged and hardworking George Fowers. There Bob grew up helping run his family's hotel and Western Auto Store. He, along with his sisters Dolores, Ramona, Dixie, and Dorcus, and brother Bill (George), learned the value of hard work from parents who taught them well. Bob's childhood was filled with adventures, like the time he got his first car at age 13 (courtesy of an ex-convict who became a family friend) and miraculously survived being hit by a car going 60 mph while riding his bicycle-despite his mother's strict orders not to ride to Yellow Bridge.

His sense of humor shone through everything he did. He loved telling the story of how he unsuccessfully protected his brother from the infamous "White Man," earned (and tried to un-earn) the Scout name Green Willow, and spent mischievous days with his dog Tippy with the crooked tail.

Bob often said the best decision he ever made was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas and New Mexico from 1960-1963. Well, that and going bowling with a certain young lady named Candace Black in 1964 after he forgot his date with another girl twice. He said that he "fell in love with her and felt the spirit telling me she was the one"-and just like that, Bob had bowled his best strike ever. When Candy mentioned she wanted 12 children on their second date, Bob thought she was trying to get rid of him. Instead, he said he was all for that, and as he put it, "she was stuck with me."

Bob and Candy were married December 17, 1965, in the Idaho Falls Temple. Their wedding breakfast was a bowl of chili at Kresses five-and-dime store, and their honeymoon was spent eating Kentucky Fried Chicken in a Salt Lake City motel, listening to the big BYU basketball National Invitational Tournament Championships. It set the tone for a marriage filled with simple treasures and shared team spirit! Soon after, they were blessed with ten children: Robert Gerald II (Rob), Jonathan Scott, Jason, Jessica, Stephanie, Erica, Lucinda, Jacqueline, Ashley, and Justin. As Bob proudly noted, "All turned out fantastic."

Bob's home was legendary for its open-door policy, and he loved those precious souls he took under his wing. At one point, they had 18 people living under one roof, including foster kids and various young people who needed a place to land. The septic system took a beating, but Bob's love knew no bounds and his family cherished their big-hearted, rough-and-tumble dad.

A gifted accountant, Bob worked for Sandvik Special Metals before starting his own tax business, where he earned the love of his clients over nearly four decades. Bob's church service was as expansive as his generous heart. As a bishop for six years, he was known for "going after the one out of the ninety-nine."

Bob faced health challenges with pure grit, refusing to let setbacks slow him down. Even when he lost sight in one eye from a stroke, he kept working on his personal history and writing a novel-"The Time Man"-truly a tale for the ages! Though the years threw everything they had at his sharp mind, Bob's testimony of Jesus Christ never wavered. He often said, "The Lord is in charge," a phrase that became his family's motto. His final recorded testimony declared: "I know that God lives, Jesus is the Christ and died for us, and Joseph Smith was a prophet... I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church upon the face of the earth."

Bob is survived by his beloved wife Candy; ten children and their spouses; 45 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren going on 24, going on forever, with loads and loads of loved ones they've adopted officially and unofficially over the years! As Bob liked to say, "I've got the whole world in my hands!" He was preceded in death by his parents and all his siblings, making him, as he noted, "the last of my siblings to be alive." What a reunion they are having now, though we will miss him deeply!

He believed with all his heart that "families are forever" and that we should "live like the Savior was going to be coming back the next day." Thank you, Bob, for being the best dad ever, for going ahead to get things ready for that glorious day!

Funeral Services Come celebrate Bob's remarkable life! Services will be held July 3rd, 2025 at the LDS church located at 640 S 750 E, Bountiful, UT 84010. Viewing will be open to the public from 10:00-10:45 AM MST, followed by a private family viewing until 11:00 AM MST when funeral services begin. A live link will be provided.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations to help with funeral expenses via Venmo @Robert-Fowers.

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."