Funeral Mass for Robert L. Eggerman was celebrated Saturday, June 28, 2003, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Coupeville, with Rev. Robert Rimes, SJ, as Celebrant. Committal services followed at Sunnyside Cemetery, Coupeville.

Robert Lyle “Bob” Eggerman, 88, died June 25, 2003, at Swedish Hospital, Seattle. He was born June 10, 1915, in Shawnee, Okla., to Donald Gilbert and Margaret Irene (Lyle) Eggerman. Bob’s mother died 10 days after giving birth to him, so his grandparents George and Lula Hotchkiss Lyle raised Bob in Brownsville, Tenn. While being raised in Brownsville, he developed his love for animals, working with the family horses, cows and chickens.

Bob began his high school career at Indiana’s Culver Military Academy and finished in Seattle, graduating from Franklin High School in 1934. Mr. Eggerman attended the University of Washington, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in economics. He became a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity.

After college, Bob worked for a time in Port Angeles as an accountant. With the start of World War II, Bob returned to the University to finish his ROTC training. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army on April 2, 1943. He was released from active duty on June 18, 1946, but remained in the reserves until 1953. He left the Army with the rank of first lieutenant.

Bob worked in San Francisco’s financial district following the war, as an accountant for Fiberboard Products. He was married to Margaret Elizabeth Oberstar in Oakland, Calif., May 15, 1948.

While in the Bay area, Bob dreamed of operating a chicken farm and looked for locations in the San Jose area. His father had a small farm on Whidbey Island and was seeking help in its operation. In 1949, Bob and Marge moved to Coupeville and started their farming operation. Eventually the hatching egg operation grew to where they had more than 20,000 chickens, one of the largest operations in the state at that time. The chicken operation was combined with raising cattle.

While farming, Bob and Marge also raised their four children. Bob loved farming, but was also an avid Husky fan, eventually becoming a Tyee member.

Mr. Eggerman was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Coupeville, serving for a time on the pastoral council, former member of the farmers co-op of Oak Harbor, a member of Deerwood Grange of Greenbank, a long-time Island County state committeeman in the Republican party and member of The Retired Officers Association. Bob was well known as a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor of the Whidbey News-Times and other newspapers.

Bob Eggerman is survived by his wife Margaret “Marge” Eggerman at the family home; four children, their spouses and 10 grandchildren: James O. Eggerman and Judith Robb Eggerman of Seattle and their daughter Julia; Thomas Lyle Eggerman, M.D., and Amy Patterson, M.D., of Rockville, Md., and their children Emma, Evan, Ean and Everett; M. Irene Eggerman and Landon M. Gibson III of Auburn and their children Landon, Blair and George: and Stephen A. Eggerman and Jeanette N. Eggerman of Kenmore and their children Alysia and Connor.

Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Church Building Fund, Friends of Home Health of Whidbey General Hospital or the Pregnancy Care Clinic. Arrangements are by Burley Funeral Chapel.