Robert James Totten
Robert “ Bob” Totten, age 82 of Cranbrook, B.C. passed away on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at Cranbrook Hospital after a short battle with cancer.
He was the loving husband of Heather Patricia Totten of Cranbrook for 41 years. Bob was born at Flagstone, B.C. on March 25, 1934 to Harry and Elizabeth Totten. He lived and worked on the farm trapping beaver and hunting cougars with his dogs, Caesar and Beau.
He received his pilot license and loved flying over the farm and even “dropping off ” beer from the air to a ranger in need at a lookout tower. Bob had rescued two cougar kittens, named Leo and Snarly and kept them strong and healthy, before being sent to the Calgary Zoo. Bob knew the minute that he saw Heather Pat, that he wanted to meet her, “Who’s that girl over there.” he said during a cattle branding day. They met, and married on June 12, 1975. They started the farm in Mayook and with 180 head of cattle , it kept them busy, as well as it led into sod farming. Logging was always his passion, as they purchased the sawmill and worked with a great crew of guys. The ranch in Bull River was a great place to raise the kids, to grow up with family values, the 4-H Club and the Gun Club.
Since Bob was never a man who kept still for long, they moved to Creston, B.C., and returned to sod farming. They had great neighbours and life long friends. With Christmas trees every year to cut, teaching us kids to drag and pick the tree from the time we could walk.
He loved “taking a stroll” or a drive around the area of Rock Lake, up the Bull, delivering sod, to dropping off trees. If you saw Bob’s truck, you knew he had something on the go. He always knew where to “park it”, where the fish were, which Christmas tree to cut and was always willing to lend a helping hand to neighbours and friends. From hiking up the bush to scope for whitetail and always picking flowers for Heather Pat on his way home. Bob taught his kids to treat others the way you would like to be treated, to always look out for people, a hard day’s work was good for the soul and to respect the bush.
A man of few words but the stories he would tell, to the lessons he would teach, he would always have the time to listen. He was a hard-worker to the core and loved his family. He will be missed by many.
No service will be held, for all who knew him remember him in your own way,
driving down the road with his arm out the window waving at you. Love; the Totten family.