Robert Steele

On Monday, January 16, Robert Monroe Steele II passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Terry of 45 short years and his twins, Logan and Meghan. Bob was born in 1948 to Robert and Dorthy Steele (Denham) in Dayton, Ohio. He grew up in Ohio with his parents and a sister in one of his favorite places Crystal Lakes, Ohio where he honed his renowned fishing skills. His love of fishing would be a thread through his whole life. Hunting was only second to fishing, as he loved going with his dad and friends. He graduated from high school in 1966 and spent several years working at National Cash Register Company. He moved to Washington state with a plan to attend the College of Fisheries at the University of Washington in 1974. He loved his new state and home while making new friends and stayed several years, first getting an Associate's degree at Wenatchee Valley College. He met his future wife Terry Gibbs in Wenatchee where she was a cashier at KMart. He always called her his Blue Light Special. He and Terry were married October 1, 1977 which just happened to be his birthday. The fall of 1980 They were off to the University of Washington where in 1982 he earned his Bachelor of Science in Fisheries. They spent the summer in Alaska; Bob a fishing guide and Terry as the camp cook. He caught salmon until his arm hurt for the whole season. A highlight of his fishing adventures. He went to work on the West side of the state and they built a new home in North Bend. Later moved to the East Side where the weather was warm and dry. He worked north around Omak and worked enforcement on both sides of the state. In Omak, the twins were born. Bob had a love for habitat work and spent much of his time creating new habitat for the fish of WA state. One of his proudest accomplishments was his design work for Blackbird Island in Leavenworth’s Waterfront Park. He was well liked among his peers and had a wonderful sense of humor. Working long hours was his habit, but he was generous with his time for others. When his children were young, he loved to spend time with them at little league games and to play Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 games with them on the weekends. Memories they still cherish. He was a wonderful father and worked hard to help them through the busy college years. He also loved to travel the western United States from Yellowstone, the Dakotas, and Wyoming. The family often spent time in Yellowstone Park. But he also loved the coast of Oregon and Northern California. Wenatchee was home to both Bob and Terry and he retired as a Habitat Manager in 2012. They built their dream home in East Wenatchee and got to enjoy it for 3 years. Bob loved living in his dream home that he designed. If he were here, he would say the biggest joy was being married to his wife Terry, always together and happy until the end.

Robert Steele

October 1, 1948 - January 16, 2023