Our beloved husband, father and grandpa passed away on October 11, 2018 after tenaciously battling several illnesses throughout the summer.
He was born Robert Henry Park on November 23, 1930, in Kanab, Utah to Robert Hugh Park and Ludean Lunt. He spent his summers as a young boy living at the Big Springs Ranger Station in the Kaibab National forest where his father was a head ranger. The family moved several times as Robert Sr. was promoted, living near ranger stations in the mountains during the summers, and moving "into town" during the winters. Consequently Bob attended several elementary schools and various high schools as he grew up; one year he changed schools 6 times. Bob loved roaming the forests and mountain tops, especially astride his beloved horse ‘Inkie'. Bob often accompanied his father on patrol, and from his summers spent exploring the mountain trails and forest lands he acquired a life-long passion for mountains and trees, and for what he considered the remarkable beauty of nature throughout Utah. He had a special love for his native Southern Utah, and for the forested canyons and mountains of the Unitas and the Wasatch range. Bob later worked many summer jobs throughout small-town Utah, including Ephraim, Panguitch, Duck Creek, Fish Lake, Bald Mountain, Richfield, Cedar Breaks and as a deputy ranger and wildfire fighter near Bryce Canyon. He cleared roads, established trails and built bridges that helped improve much of the recreational use lands we now enjoy throughout Central and Southern Utah.
Bob was an avid athlete; he played on championship basketball (forward) and baseball (first base) teams in highschool and junior college, and lettered in both sports. He also competed in track and field and particularly distinguished himself as a pole vaulter. When a knee injury interrupted his budding basketball career after junior college, Bob took up tennis and played amateur singles and men's doubles for over twenty years. After graduation from Snow High School in Ephraim and completing two years at Snow College, Bob enrolled in BYU in Provo, UT. (He liked to recall that at one point he lived across from Heap's brick oven Restaurant, which still stands today.) Bob graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Commerce (Business and Finance) in 1952 and accepted accounting positions with Kenworth Sales Company, and with the Internal Audit Staff of Kennecott Copper during which he filled many assignments at the Corporation Headquarters in New York City. He then moved to California were he worked as an accountant for several Fortune 500 corporations. While working in San Francisco for Kern County Land Company, he met his wife-to-be, Lynda Elizabeth Malis. They married in Carmel Valley, CA on May 21, 1960. They moved to Novato, CA in 1962 where Bob landscaped the yard and layed a brick patio and planters himself from scratch. Bob was a gifted gardner and had a perpetual green thumb. His instinct was to dig in the earth and make things grow. His gardens flourished, whether vegetables, fruit trees or flowers. He loved working in his gardens, and especially loved cultivating spectacular, fragrant roses. He could stick a rose cane in any pot of dirt and make it grow. He loved surrounding himself with beautiful flowers of all kinds, and especially enjoyed sustaining and nurturing the Shasta Daisies and giant Irises that remained from his mother's garden and creating a Peony patch to honor his grandmother.
Various work transfers took Bob and his family to Apple Valley, CA, Sunnyvale, CA, and finally to Bakersfield, CA, where Bob and Lynda raised their two children, Lisa and Rob. Bob returned to SLC to help care for his mother prior to her death in 1984, and stayed on to help administer her estate. While in Utah at this time, Bob and his son Rob enjoyed many wonderful adventures traveling throughout the mid and western United States, including favorite trips to Yellowstone National Park. They visited several of Bob's beloved national parks in Utah, such as Bryce Canyon (named for his ancestor), Zion's National Park and The Grand Staircase-Escalante, among many others.
Bob always wanted to stay active and fit, and prior to his illness looked twenty years younger than his age. He was disciplined about his health and had a strong work ethic. After ‘retiring,' he worked part time as an accountant at Mr. Mac in order to "stay sharp and have something to do." He was fiercely loyal and dedicated to the business owners and loved being able to work with ‘all the guys.' Bob loved to walk and amassed hundreds of miles traversing his neighborhood and local parks.
Bob loved his family deeply, past and present, and they brought him great joy. He was continually concerned for their welfare, and immensely proud of their accomplishments. His children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and their children were his greatest passion. He joyously welcomed the birth of his first great-grandchild who he fondly dubbed "William-the-Conqueror." Bob loved his heritage and found great satisfaction in discovering and learning about his ancestors. He loved to tell stories about his own grandparents, aunts and uncles to all who would hear. He had a beautiful hand and took meticulous notes about his ancestors and lineage. Most of all, Bob loved and cared for Lynda; when they were apart for a long season due to job circumstances, he called her faithfully every night for many years. After 58 years of marriage, they are still best friends.
Bob is survived by his wife Lynda Park, daughter Lisa (Steve) Wygant, son Robert Louis Park, grandson Andrew (Kaylee) Wygant, granddaughter Lyndsay Wygant, great-grandson William
Wygant, many beloved nieces, nephews and their children. He will be deeply missed. We Love you Bob so much!
Preceded in death by his mother (Ludean Lunt Park), father (Robert Hugh Park) and sister (MaVe Treadway.)
Viewing to be held Friday, October 19 from 6-8 pm at Larkin Mortuary (260
E South Temple, SLC, UT.) Graveside service on Saturday, October 20 at 11 am at Memorial
Mountain View Cemetery (3115 Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, UT.)
