Robert “Bob” Dean McLaughlin, 71, passed on his next trip on Feb. 19, 2023. He passed peacefully, at his home, with his wife and son by his side.
Bob was born in Bowman, North Dakota on July 20, 1951. He graduated from Rhame HS in 1969 and moved to Minneapolis to earn his first class radio license from the Brown Institute.
This took him to Havre where he was a disc jockey for KOJM and KPQX. It was in Havre that he met the love of his life, Shirley Smith, in 1976. They married in 1978 and had a son, Christopher McLaughlin, in 1980. Bob returned to school at Northern Montana College to pursue a degree in economics. After earning this degree, he accepted an internship with the District 4 Human Resources and Development Board in 1984 and the rest was history. Bob started out as an intern and ended up as an executive director. During his time at HRDC, he worked on grants and projects that helped the underprivileged in Hill County, he was a constant advocate for the less fortunate, and his family was so proud of the work he did. He retired in 1998 to be a stay at home husband, but couldn’t stay away from the service for long. He joined the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center where he kept the books and helped further their mission of helping the disabled community in Topeka, Kansas. In 2010 he retired for the second and last time and then moved to Prescott Valley, Arizona when Shirley retired from the BNSF. Bob fiercely loved his family and friends, loved playing music, loved Atlanta Braves baseball, Kansas State Basketball, her many dogs, and helped 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 wished people would donate to their local animal shelters.
Information provided by the family.
