Obituary - Robert 'Bob' Dean McLaughlin

Robert "Bob" Dean McLaughlin, 71, moved on to his next journey February 19th, 2023. He passed peacefully, in his home, with his wife and son by his side.

Bob was born in Bowman, ND, July 20th 1951. He graduated from Rhame HS in 1969 and moved to Minneapolis to pursue his First Class Radio License from the Brown Institute. This led him to Havre, where he was disc jockey for KOJM and KPQX.

It was in Havre that he met the love of his life, Shirley Smith, in 1976. They got married in 1978 and had a son, Christopher McLaughlin, in 1980.

Bob went back to school at Northern Montana College to pursue a business degree. After obtaining this degree he accepted an internship at District 4 Human Resource and Development Council in 1984 and the rest was history. Bob started as an intern and ended up as the executive director. In his time at HRDC, he worked on grants and projects that helped the marginalized in Hill County, he was a constant champion of the less fortunate and his family was so proud of the work he did.

He retired in 1998 to be a stay-home husband but couldn't keep away from service for long. He joined the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, where he kept books and helped to further their mission of helping the disabled community in Topeka, KS. In 2010, he retired for the second and last time and later moved to Prescott Valley when Shirley retired from the BNSF.

Bob loved his family and friends fiercely, he loved playing music, loved Atlanta Braves baseball, Kansas State basketball, his many dogs, and helping Shirley pick the perfect color for her many craft projects.

Bob is survived by his wife, Shirley; son, Chris (Brittany); sister, Jeanie (Bill) Beylund; brother, Ross McLaughlin; grandchildren, Arie and Lily "Wilson" McLaughlin.

Bob is preceded in death by his father, George McLaughlin, and his mother, Margot McLaughlin.

In lieu of flowers, Bob would have loved people to donate to their local animal shelters.