Obituary: Robert Charles ‘Bob’ Westerberg

Published 12:15 am Friday, December 22, 2023

Robert Charles “Bob” Westerberg died on Nov. 25, at home in Astoria, surrounded by loved ones.

Bob was born Feb. 9, 1937, in Astoria, to Charles Milford Ernest and Alma Viola (née Wesche) Westerberg. He grew up in Astoria, and graduated from Astoria High School in 1955.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Oregon State University in 1960. He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, and lived in the house his whole college career. He was a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps member at OSU.

His first job as a pharmacist was at Nolan Rexall Drug on Woodstock Boulevard in southeast Portland. While living in the Sellwood area of Portland, he met Grace Aletha Snider. They married on Oct. 27, 1962, in Dayton, Washington.

Bob served in active duty in the U.S. Army for six months at Fort Ord, California, then served in the Army Reserve for six years, being honorably discharged in 1966.

He and Aletha moved to Astoria in 1964, and he worked at Owl Drug until buying Paramount Drug in 1967. He enjoyed running the business and getting to know people in the community. He sold the business in 1978.

In January 1979, Bob began a four-year term as a Clatsop County commissioner. He loved meeting and working with people from all over the county. He ran for re-election and lost by 211 votes. It was a tough loss, but he returned to practicing pharmacy locally, in Clatskanie, Ilwaco and Long Beach, Washington.

He ran for commissioner again two years later and won! He was grateful to be in public service in the city, county and state he loved.

For several years, Bob practiced pharmacy at Columbia Memorial Hospital. He enjoyed the differences between retail and hospital pharmacy. He also worked at Payless (Rite Aid) Pharmacy from 1986 until he retired in 2001. His boss and co-worker, Felix Chow, was a treasured friend.

The day after Aletha retired, the couple embarked on the first of several cross-country trips in their beloved Roadtrek RV, visiting family and friends and exploring national parks.

Bob was a lifelong member of Grace Episcopal Church. In the late 1970s, while serving on the vestry (the governing board of the congregation), he worked to repair the two bells in the bell tower that had been silent for years. The bells became a regular part of Sunday mornings and other occasions of worship. He enjoyed inviting others, especially children, to ring the bells after church.

He was a committee chairman and assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 211, chartered at Grace Episcopal Church. He continued supporting the troop as charter organization representative for 40 years.

He was a member of Seaport Masonic Lodge No. 7, and proudly received his 50-year Masonic membership pin. He was also a member of the Clatsop County Shrine Club and Al Kader Shrine. He also belonged to the Astoria Kiwanis Club and Toastmasters International.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he and Aletha were active locally and across the state in Jaycees. They made many lifelong friends. Four couples from those Jaycees days continued to get together annually until 2019; the get-togethers ended due to COVID-19.

Bob hosted “Morning Classics” on KMUN Radio from 1986 to 2019. He had been a member of the Angora Hiking Club since 1953. He led many hikes across the county and in the Columbia River Gorge.

He was a volunteer at the Liberty Theatre for a number of years. He was a conductor and motorman for the Astoria Riverfront Trolley from 2001 to 2020. He loved greeting people and sharing the history of Astoria while the trolley rolled down the tracks.

Bob was a member of the AANR, and was a representative for Oregon on the National AANR Government Affairs Committee. He also served on the Oregon Recreational Trails Advisory Council, involved in planning sections of the Oregon Coast Trail, Stub Stewart State Park, portions of the Oregon Coast bike route and many smaller community recreation facilities throughout Oregon.

He spent many joyful times in the outdoors with friends and activities of the Sun Lovers Under Gray Skies (SLUGS). Hiking and being outdoors were Bob’s passion. He climbed Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, and was a longtime member of the Mazamas mountaineering club.

He backpacked extensively in the Wallowa and Olympic mountains. Later, he established a strong family tradition of camping, exploring the national forests throughout the Northwest.

He traveled across the Western U.S., chasing primitive and developed hot springs wherever he could find them. Bagby Hot Springs on Mount Hood was a favorite destination for many years. He served for a week at a time as a Friends of Bagby volunteer for the U.S. Forest Service, greeting people and making sure it was a safe and welcoming place for all.

Bob traveled to all 50 states, plus Italy, Germany, Guatemala, Canada and Mexico.

He was preceded in death by his parents, aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Aletha S. Westerberg; children, Warren, and his spouse, Nina Westerberg, of Vancouver, Washington, Andy, and his spouse, Kim Westerberg, of Black Diamond, Washington, and Carol, and her spouse, Wes Sedlacek, of Lebanon; grandchildren, Katharine Westerberg and Ian Wexler, of Seattle, Brea and Matt Fyke, of Enumclaw, Washington, Derek Westerberg, of Vancouver, Jake Westerberg, of Enumclaw, Washington, and Violet Westerberg, of Vancouver; great-grandchildren, Kylie and Morgan Fyke, of Cedar Hills, Tennessee, and Boone, Miles and Bolden Fyke, of Enumclaw, Washington; and cousins, Gayle Allworth, of Lake Oswego, and Bruce and Pam Wesche, of Salem.

He is also survived by children of our hearts, Derek and Wendi Gale, of Corvallis, Garth Gale, of Clatskanie, Katrina Gale, of Astoria, Teresa and Jim Walters, of Astoria, Ashley Camp, of Astoria, Kylee Gale, of Warrenton, Alex Gale and Casey Gale, of Corvallis, Brandon Gale, of Camp Sherman, and Gavin Hatler, of Astoria.

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Dec. 30, at Grace Episcopal Church.

Interment will take place in the spring at Greenwood Cemetery in Astoria.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be given to Grace Episcopal Church, KMUN, the Liberty Theatre or the Astoria Riverfront Trolley.

Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is handling the arrangements.