Bobby Gerald Gillihan

Intelligent, confident in his beliefs, and always willing to help friends and family - this is how we will remember this fisherman, owner and builder of classic cars, tequila connoisseur, dog and animal lover. A strong willed man who voiced his opinion, which he always backed by facts, he was happy and ready to engage in spirited conversations. Bobby Gerald Gillihan died in his sleep at his home with his wife and canine companion on March 14, 2021.

Born in Melbourne, Arkansas Bobby was son to Otho Ray and Verna Gillihan. He was second oldest in a set of six active boys. Bobby grew up working on cars with his dad. As an adult he, side-by-side with a builder, completed a ground-up restoration on his 1929 Ford Model ‘A’ Sport Coupe which he entered at many car shows, winning numerous trophies.

In 1951, at the age of 2, Bobby’s family moved to Longview, Washington. He never lost his roots and connections with Arkansas and enjoyed travelling back east to visit family. He lived in west Longview and attended Robert Gray Elementary and graduated from Mark Morris High School in 1968. He bragged many a time, that in the fun of high school rivalry he was one of the delinquents who put the cow in the R.A. Long library. He grew to love history and devoured many books as a lifelong learner.

As a young man Bobby enjoyed both loud rides on his motorcycle and tranquil escapes on his sailboat which was moored at Willow Grove. He enjoyed camping at Forlorn Lake and fishing at Goose Lake with his family and friends. He was an animal lover owning turtles, Notch and Betty, and a monkey named “Goober”. Ultimately his favorite animal would have been the various Dalmatians he was blessed with over the years. He built a tribute to his last two dogs with Max’s Libations & Smokables and the Tanna Cabana in his backyard. He spent many days and evenings here taking pictures of his winged visitors while enjoying a fine cigar with his drink of choice - Tequila and Sunny D.

After high school he was hired on at Reynolds Aluminum Plant working his way up to a managerial position until his first retirement/plant shut down in 2001. Bobby decided that he was not ready for retirement yet, and found a new job and life experience at National Credit Service until his second retirement. He made life-long friends at both Reynolds and NCS.

He lived a big life pursuing various hobbies and interests. Bobby enjoyed traveling to experience new places and visit with friends and family. He loved going to his favorite winery, Cascade Cliffs, where Jared would test his tasting skills by pouring ‘unknown’ samples for him to identify, which he often got correct. He took several trips to New Orleans, Cabo San Lucas Mexico where he had the thrill of a lifetime catching a Marlin, with the highlight of his travels being his 1993 trip to visit his brother in Kenya, Africa. There he was able to experience first-hand with his Brother Timmy and Sister-in-law Joan, the wildlife, culture, and cuisine of the area.

Another hobby for Bobby was tending to his backyard garden and fish pond which evolved from a tiny pond located in the very back of the yard to a much larger pond just off the deck in the middle of the yard. Hummingbirds frequent the location knowing when he was out to replenish the feeders. They would often ‘chitter’ at him during the process. He had recently purchased an advanced camera so he could capture the details and beauty of the birds in the yard and the various critters at Lake Sacajawea. He enjoyed shooting and sharing photographs of the ‘visitors’ to all. He would entertain frequently from his little bit of paradise, picking strawberries, watching fireworks from his roof loft, and feeding the fish with his granddaughters over the years.

Bobby was preceded in death by his first wife, Lavon Maples, and both parents.

He is survived by his wife Patricia Mansker, his brothers Lonnie(K’Lynn) Longview, Roger(Carol) Seattle, Tommy(Glenda) Longview, Timmy(Joan) Kelso, and Terry(Myrna) Winlock, his daughter Erin Long, and his grand-daughters Michayla and Corie, of Longview.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Longview Eagles on September 18th, 1-4pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Youth and Family Link Program, 907 Douglas Street, Longview; Community Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 2067, Longview.