Obituary

Bradley J. Robart, age 78, passed away on July 17, 2019 in Bellingham, WA.

Brad was born in Portland, OR to parents Vivian and Byron, joining his older brother, Doug, and eventually they grew to become a family with four rambunctious boys in all. He was especially close to his younger siblings, Greg and Randy, and they looked up to him as their big brother. They didn’t have a lot growing up, but they had each other and the great outdoors of the Northwest. They learned to hunt and fish from their dad and the beauty of art from their mom, to look out for and depend on one another, and that love and family are the most important things in life.

Brad was a gifted wood-worker and his artistic talents branched out into furniture-making, metal-working, welding and model building. He enjoyed hunting and fishing all his life, along with a love of books and boating, and later enjoyed hot rod cars and golfing. He became an accomplished piping designer, working as an engineer for Veco in Bellingham for over thirty years, a skill he first learned as a young man in the army.

We remember him as a humorous guy who always had a joke and was ready to laugh. But we also remember him as a deeply introspective man who loved to engage us in thought-provoking discussions and was always respectful of the other’s point of view. He accepted all his family and friends without judgement and never let us down when we needed his help.

Brad was dealt the worst and most unexpected blow when his wife Dori, the love of his life, succumbed to cancer in 2004 at the age of fifty. The loss sent him into a tailspin for a couple of years, losing his grip on years of sobriety and giving himself over to despair. But then, we watched him pull himself up and out of that dark place for the love of his family and witnessed his re-commitment to life and his sobriety, with the help of AA, his sponsor Ron, and his best friend, Don Summers. Out of it all, he became his best self in the following years. We will always be proud of him for overcoming his demons and forever grateful for the last seven years that he gave to us. We will never forget the struggle he made to be able to share his life with us, his generosity and giant heart, and his unconditional love for all of us, family and friends alike.

May he rest in peace and dwell forever reunited with his beloved wife, Dori.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2017, at 12:00 pm, at Bayview Cemetery in Bellingham. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Whatcom Hospice Foundation.