Bob Thorson
Robert Dale Thorson passed away February 4, 2012 in Issaquah, WA at the age of 75. He was born Aug. 23, 1936 at the hospital in Grafton, ND, the son of Frithjof Johan and Ethel Margaret (Herum) Thorson. He was raised in Park River, ND, where his father was the Postmaster for many years. Bob attended school there for the full 12 years of grade school and high school and had fond memories of his years in Park River. He was given the nickname “Tweety” by his friends while growing up and continued to enjoy the name and Tweety Bird items throughout his life. He loved to play golf and was very proud of the fact that in 1955 he won the Hillcrest Championship in Park River.
Bob graduated from the University of North Dakota, with a BSBA, in Grand Forks in 1959 and was then employed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Social Security Administration) in Fargo, ND. He met his wife, Dorothy (Simonson), shortly after transferring to Minot, ND, and they were married in Zion Lutheran Church, Minot, ND, the following December 10, 1960. Besides Minot, he also worked in Creston, IA; Grand Forks, ND; Miles City, MT. and finally in the spring of 1973, to Seattle, WA, where he remained until his retirement in 1993. He resided in Bellevue, WA, and was a member of Cross of Christ Lutheran Church since 1973.
Bob was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He loved his family and always put them first. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed traveling and camping with his family and also the many business trips he made before retiring.
Bob is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his daughter Cynthia (Peter) Keese; his son David (Joan) Thorson; two grandchildren: Kristina and Daniel Thorson; his sister Rebecca (Kenneth) Gann, Calif.; nephews and nieces Jeffrey (Tiffany) Gann, Deborah (Brian) Crossley, Valerie (Scott) Smith, and Jerrel Gower, all of California.
He was preceded in death by his parents F.J. and Ethel Thorson and his sister-in-law Mavis (Simonson) Gower and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Memorial services will be at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bellevue, WA, and inurnment will be at the Cross of Christ Columbarium.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Bob’s name to the National Parkinson Foundation or the Cross of Christ Columbarium in Bellevue, WA.