Bob Bement has gone west

[qbynewbie]

Bob Bement died in his sleep on Tuesday night.

He was 91 and still flying his 182. He and a friend flew to the Minam Lodge ten days before he died.

He was a good man: a widower, a father, a grandfather, a teacher, a coach, a great brother to his siblings, a man whose home was always open to friends and family, and a man with a always a smile on his face. And, of course, a happy pilot who loved exploring the backcountry strips in and amongst the mountains.

Blue skies and tailwinds, Bob.

 

[qbynewbie]

 

[Bill]

I haven’t seen him here in a great while but remember his substantial contributions to this forum. He seemed to be a genuine, warm man. Tailwinds, Bob!

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Dammit!

No surprise. Last time I saw him he was a million years old (and wouldn't be offended by me saying that) but flew his little airplane from Oregon to Gaston's and was taking pilots out to do some landings in non-conventional places to share that experience with them. Such a good dude. That year at Gaston's I asked if he would be back next year and he said that would be his last trip out there.
I forget how many days the trip took him (I swear it was like 8 days) but it was a major adventure getting there. He was such a great guy.
He had so many great stories...

Ugh... RIP Bob.

 

[Brad Z]

I know Bob only from this forum but he sounds like a great man (by default, he was a 182 guy!). I think our goals as pilots should be to live a long, happy, fulfilling life and die peacefully in our sleep.

 

[Dave Theisen]

Always loved his posts. Wish I could have met him.

 

[geezer]

I missed Bob when I created a list of old pilots, shortly after joining POA.

Obviously, he did not sound old in his posts.

Flying his own plane 10 days before he died in his sleep is a great life!

Happy landing, Bob.

 

[hindsight2020]

Flying his own plane 10 days before he died in his sleep is a great life!

If that is true, yeah that's eating the full course meal and not leaving a penny or crumb on the table. And over 90 too. Good on him, we should all be so lucky. Here's to fully Lived lives, a toast!

 

[steingar]

I've read many of his posts and enjoyed them. Condolences to his loved ones, though I'm really glad he had a long and enjoyable ride.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Bob was still actively posting on Facebook up until... Well, according to Facebook, "5d" ago, so right up until the end. It was fun to watch his adventures, and be impressed with what he was still doing (including flying) at his age.

I'm lucky to have gotten to visit him in his longtime hometown of Vale, OR about 18 years ago, and go for the quintessential flight to the Owyhee Hilton in his shiny 182. RIP

 

[CJones]

I never met Bob personally, but after reading his posts here over the years, I somehow got connected to him on FB. As Kent mentioned, he was posting and actively flying up until a few days before he passed. He seemed sharp as a tack. I hope I'm as sharp as that at his age!

I'll miss seeing his posts about flying into Minam and the Owyhee Hilton. He will definitely be missed in his community.

 

[SCCutler]

All the good things you read about Bob, and sensed when you read what he wrote? They are legit. One of the finest humans I ever had the particular privilege to meet and know, and we were certainly friends. He loved to make lawyer jokes, and was welcome to do so at will.

He was a college athlete (football and basketball), a coach, a teacher, a civic-minded community hero and an all-around good guy.

Vale, Oregon will miss him badly - I know I already do!