Robert "Big Bob" LAMBETH Jr.

Robert Hunt "Big Bob" Lambeth Jr. passed away on November 8, 2024, at the age of 76. Bob suffered from kidney failure and endured heart problems, to which he ultimately succumbed. But he will not be remembered for the health struggles he faced in the remaining years of his life. He will always be remembered as the shining example of humanity that he was – a truly good person with a big heart. Bob was easily the kindest, most generous, caring, and respectful man anyone who knew him could ever hope to meet. No one ever had a negative thing to say about him. No one. Never. He was a one-of-a-kind, true original who would not hesitate to help someone in need. Bob really was the definition of a good man and, more importantly for him, a good Freemason. The world is in even worse shape now, having lost such a great person.

Bob was born on August 2, 1948, in Polson, Montana. His father, Bob Sr., a game warden and native Montanan, instilled within Bob Jr. and his youngest son, Ken, a lifelong love of the outdoors, which is where a young Bob Jr. enjoyed spending most of his free time growing up in Polson. He climbed every peak in the Mission Mountain Range, doing so at a very young age. Bob and his parents had a strong bond and love for one another, which helped develop the relationship Bob Jr. would have with his own son in the future. After graduating Polson High School in 1966, Bob matriculated to Montana Tech in Butte, where he studied mining engineering, a profession he would come to excel at. After graduating in 1970, he worked at various mining sites in Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. As an avid outdoorsman, life in the Alaskan Bush filled him with a sense of excitement and unrealized potential. He learned to fly bush planes and even did some aerobatics when he was able. He had run-ins with grizzly bears and was part of hard rock mining rescue teams that trained to help trapped miners. In 1976, Bob earned a position with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, which is where he would remain until the bureau was eliminated in 1996. He really did live an exciting and eclectic life. He was a bit of an adrenaline junkie before that was a thing. But ultimately, his life was dedicated to service. Serving people and helping others was what drove him and gave him a sense of purpose.

It was during his time in Alaska when he was introduced to the woman he would soon marry, Kathryn Ocks. They met one another through mutual friends they both knew from growing up in Montana and were married within a year, tying the knot in October of 1978. By June of 1979, they had become parents for the first (and last) time to their only child Robert Michael Joseph (Bobby), named after his father and grandfather. Bob shared with his wife and son his love for camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, and traveling. He was an excellent telemark and x-country skier. The three took frequent trips together, traveling around the Northwest and British Columbia with camper and boat in-tow, but they especially enjoyed their frequent visits to Lake Mary Ronan in Montana where the small log cabin placed by Bob Sr. became a kind of second home to the family and has so remained through two additional generations of Lambeth children.

Not satisfied with having only his B.S. in mining engineering, Bob decided to further his education and career opportunities by enrolling at EWU where he earned his M.S. degree in 1992. After two decades of working for the Bureau of Mines, Bob worked as a mining consultant for various firms, eventually starting his own firm – Engineering & Geological Solutions. He made many lifelong friends with his coworkers over the course of his professional career, because it was so very difficult not to like him or appreciate who he was and what he was about. His profession afforded him with many exciting opportunities, including travel to places like Poland, Ireland, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

By the time he was fifty, Bob found a new hobby: skydiving. He completed several tandem jumps before becoming certified to do solo jumps, of which he logged at least twenty. Bob was

also an amazing mechanic, who could fix just about anything related to cars, trucks, planes, and boats. He was never trained as such; he was just a very talented and capable engineer who enjoyed tackling difficult problems and having a chance to impart that knowledge onto others. He taught his son a great deal about working on vehicles as a necessity, not just a hobby. By virtue of his personality alone, Bob inspired those around him to take pride in hard work and a job well done. He had an amazing work ethic, knowing that his efforts always held a grander purpose and meant so much more than just getting things done. Even seemingly pointless busy work held an almost spiritual connotation for him.

Outside of his family and professional life, one of the most important and significant aspects of Bob's life was his involvement in the Freemasons, Scottish Rite, Rose Croix, DeMolay, and the Shriners Hospital. Bob – just like his son, father, grandfather, and even great-grandfather – was a proud Master Mason, having first joined the fraternity in 1970. As a longtime member and former Worshipful Master of Boyer Mt. Lodge #50 in Deer Park, WA, Bob worked tirelessly to ensure the lodge succeeded, including helping to secure the purchase of a new building. In 2009, his son, Bobby, joined the fraternity with his father, becoming the fifth consecutive generation of Lambeth Freemasons, a fact that filled his father with pride. Bob really enjoyed telling people that his son was a fifth-generation Freemason. Freemasonry allowed Bob to do what he did best, which was helping others. For several years, he was the chairman of the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation of Washington (SRSFW) for the Valley of Spokane, where he helped award hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in college scholarships to many deserving recipients. His life will forever stand as a testament to what Freemasons should emulate, both as citizens of this nation, and as men. He epitomized the ideal.

In lieu of everything, monetary donations in Bob's name to the SRSFW, DeMolay Spokane, or the Scottish Rite Speech Center would be greatly appreciated. He worked extremely hard for many years to help make the SRSFW in the Spokane area one of the most active and well-known contributors to college scholarships for the entire charity and, as a result, many dozens of young Washingtonians were able to realize their dreams of attending college. Something else to consider doing in Bob's memory: be helpful. Pull over and assist a stranded motorist. Give some cash to a panhandler. Don't demand repayment on a loan to someone if you're able to do so. Volunteer, if even once and for a short period of time. Work hard for what you have and appreciate it as much as possible. Love your family and friends unconditionally and don't make your personal relationships transactional. Make the most of what you have while you still can and before it's ripped away from you.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents: Robert H. Sr. and Evelyn Lambeth; niece: Sally Joe Lambeth; aunt and uncle: Sally and Rudy Sherick; aunt and uncle: Bunny and Alfred Lambeth; and aunt and uncle: Shirley and Raymond Lambeth. He leaves behind his loving wife of forty-six years: Kathryn Lambeth; son and daughter-in-law: Robert and Billie Rae Lambeth; grandchildren: Vanessa, Aleecia, Preston, and Zyler; great-grandchildren: Braxton, J'Koy, and Alayah May; brother and sister-in-law: Kenneth and Vivian Lambeth (Big Arm, MT); brothers-in-law: Michael Ocks and Leslie Ocks (Portland, OR); nephews: Scott and Paul; nieces: January and Abigail; grandnephews: Wyatt and Colt; grandnieces: Riley, Sidney, and Eve; and several cousins in Montana, Colorado, and Oregon.

We love and miss you so much Bob/Dad/Grampa/Great Grampa/Big Bob!!! Life will forever be emptier and a little less meaningful without you in it.

"Our Brother has reached the end of his earthly toils … So Mote It Be."