Robert Henry Muzzall was born March 16, 1921, to Lyle B. and Edna C. (Zimmerman) Muzzall in the family farmhouse on Scenic Heights Road, west of Oak Harbor. He was raised in the happy company of three brothers and two sisters on a stump farm which became a dairy and poultry farm. Loving the out-of-doors and yearly trips to the mountains, hiking, camping and fishing, Bob was sure that frugality and farm work were normal life in America in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Bob accepted going to school as part of growing up and graduated from Oak Harbor High School in 1939 with a class of 26 students. He spent 1940 on crutches as a result of a knee injury. While serving three years in the Army Air Force, Bob met and wedded Evee Goetsch, June 13, 1945. They returned to Whidbey in 1946 and took over the family farm, successfully operating it until 1988 when Ron and Shelly took over.

Bob has been an active member of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church serving as congregational president, Sunday school teacher, on ministry and call committees and in many other capacities. He has been an active Stephens’s Minister since 1996. He has participated in Whidbey Island Dairy Club and Juan de Fuca Grange and served as a director for Skagit Farmer Supply for 18 years.

Bob’s hobbies included hunting, fishing, bird watching, woodworking, hand carving and lathe-work with hard woods.

Surrounded by his loving family, he died at home on Aug. 4, 2007, at the age of 86, after a yearlong heroic battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, and leaves his two sisters, Laura Vanderbeek of Oak Harbor and Eleanor Bolesta of Tule Lake, Calif., his beloved wife of 62 years, Evelyn, and children Michael Muzzall and Wendy of Cle Elum, Maura Muzzall and Ken of Okanogan, Robi Muzzall Marshall and Rodney of Shady Shores, Texas and Ronald Muzzall and Shelly of Oak Harbor, 11 grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Memorials may be made to Oak Harbor Lutheran Church or Friends of Home Health, 101 N. Main St., Coupeville, WA 98239.

Memorial services to celebrate the life of Robert Muzzall will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Oak Harbor Lutheran Church with Rev. Jerry Buss officiating. Family graveside services were held at Maple Leaf Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor.