Robert Claude Brower

1945 - 2014

Robert Claude Brower
August 25, 1945 - October 12
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The Honorable Robert Claude Brower died Sunday, October 12 at the University of Utah Medical Center from cancer. Brower was best known as Magistrate of the Seventh District Court of Idaho, serving in Bingham County from 1975 to 1996.
Brower was born in 1945 to Claude G. and Lois Thomas Brower of Blackfoot. He spent 13 years in Blackfoot public schools, earning in first grade the "Straight Shooter Award" from Principal Donald Stalker of Irving Elementary. In high school his friends nicknamed him "Moose." He was known for his speed as a fullback and track sprinter. He was a member of the 1963 880-yard relay team that held the BHS school record for over 20 years. He was a charter member of the Wapello chapter of the Bloo Room Brothers of America.
Brower attended Idaho State University where he met his future spouse Franca Bradish of Burley with whom he shared 47 years. After receiving a degree in history and a ROTC commission as a second lieutenant in the Army, he served at Ft. Lee, Virginia and in Bupyeong, South Korea during the Vietnam War. The loss of his best friend Jimmy Smith to the war compounded Brower's skepticism about American policy abroad. Brower returned from overseas to attend the University of Idaho's College of Law where he was known to his classmates as "Country Bob." Brower worked as a student at the law library and spent summers rafting rivers such as the Selway with law school friends.
After passing the Idaho Bar exam in 1974, Brower practiced law in Blackfoot in an office furnished with only a folding card table, a 1935 Royal typewriter, and a borrowed filing cabinet. After six weeks as a lawyer, he received an appointment from the Seventh District Magistrate Commission to fill an unexpected midterm vacancy. He was sworn in on January 13, 1975 as Magistrate by District Judge Arnold T. Beebe at the age of 29. Brower was then the youngest judge to have presided in Idaho courts. After retirement he served as a Senior Judge in Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, and Rexburg.
During his 39 years on the bench, Judge Brower was known for his pragmatism and keen sense of fairness. Specializing in juvenile law, he was an ardent proponent of education for minor offenders. Juveniles were often offered suspended sentences on the condition that they finish high school. Brower staunchly defended civil liberties and decried invasions of privacy and personal liberties. He also criticized "the criminalization of poverty," arguing that aggressive policing and harsh sentences for victimless crimes harmed working people's chances to improve their lot. With good humor, Brower often opened court with trivia quizzes and was known for his outlandish neckties. Those he sentenced could see that beneath the robe was someone who wanted them to reflect on their mistakes and do right by the world. He was above all a good judge of character. Recognizing this quality, his Shoshone Bannock friends dubbed him "white owl."
Brower was a member in many community organizations including the Exchange Club, Prospectors, and BPOE. The Blackfoot Elks Club honored him with its Distinguished Citizen Award, and he twice drove in the Elks sponsored demolition derby.
Bob's greatest passion in life was travel. In 1979 his overseas adventures took him to England where his wife Franca worked for the year as a Fulbright exchange teacher. He loved rarely visited places, and his outgoing nature earned him friends around the world. During the course of their travels, he and Franca visited over 120 countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Bob was always preparing for his next trip. In his last weeks, he was planning a visit to the site of the battle of Stalingrad.
Brower is survived by his wife Franca Brower, his sons Ben (Sakina) of Austin, Texas, Brady (Amy) of Ogden, Utah, grandchildren Claudia, Stella, Hanan, Henry, and Sana, and sisters Nancy Dafoe and Betty Holbrook. They ask that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to: The Honorable Robert Claude Brower Memorial Scholarship Fund, University of Idaho Foundation, 875 Perimeter Drive Mail Stop 3143, Moscow, ID 83844-3143.