Goodnight my Chief!

Robert William Bannister; beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend passed away on Friday, November 30th. Born in 1918, he was just a few weeks shy of his 61st wedding anniversary and 89th birthday. Bob, known to all as “the Chief” was born in Seattle, Washington to Casey and Grace Bannister a pioneer family of Kenmore, Washington. A life-long resident of Kenmore, Bob graduated from Bothell High School in 1938 and was a freshman at the University of Washington when the war broke out. He joined the Army Air Corps and served as crew chief in the 95th Fighter Squadron made up of the famous WW II P-38 fighters. He was involved in the North African and European campaigns. At the end of the war he returned to Kenmore and resumed his job at Seattle City Light, and as a volunteer for the Fire Department. In 1946 he met and married Marjory, and began his family. After the war, as Kenmore began to grow, Bob also resumed his passion for community service. He was a member of Bothell First Lutheran church, the Kiwanis, the American Legion, the Masonic Lodge, Kenmore Community Club, the Northshore Chamber of Commerce and a charter member of the “Over the Hill Gang”, a group of old time firefighters. He joined the King County Sheriff’s department, volunteered his time to the Swedish Foundation, and became a Foster parent. After a few years of volunteering for the Kenmore Fire Department he was appointed Fire Chief in 1950, and held that position for 31 years. After his retirement from the fire department in 1981, he ran for Fire Commissioner, and served the community as a commissioner for an additional 11 years. Another of his great loves was traveling and camping with his family. Over the years the family managed to visit every state in the union at least once. In 2004 his family and friends celebrated the 50th anniversary of the annual family camping trip to Grays Harbor.
Bob is survived by his wife of 60 years Marjory, sister Virginia (Eric), children William (Barb), James (Suzanne), Thomas (Rhonda), Jerald (Cynthia), Janet, Maureen (Lars), and Sonny. 18 grandchildren, 5 great-grand children and more that 10 foster children. He will greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10207 NE 183rd Street, Bothell, Washington on Monday, December 10th at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made in Bob’s memory to First Evangelical Lutheran Church, or the Northshore Fire Department.