Memorial Service
English Funeral Chapel-
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1133 N. 4th St
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Robert Croffoot
June 10, 1935 — July 17, 2016
Robert Croffoot
It is with great sadness that we announce Robert “Bob” Croffoot passed away on July 17 , 2016, at Kootenai Medical Center, after suffering a large stroke. Bob was a dedicated member of the larger Hayden community, and often called this part of the world “a little bit of heaven.” He was a devoted husband, father and community member, and the world is less bright with his passing.
Bob was born June 10, 1935, in Topeka, Kansas to Charles and Minnie (Hanni) Croffoot. His family was devastated by the depression, and decided to leave the dustbowl of Kansas for California. The family, including Bob and his three brothers (Cliff, Fritz, Charles Jr.), and one sister (Lucille), moved to Whittier, California when he was two. They pooled money and purchased a small gas station, although his father, still in unrelenting pain from WWI mustard gas injuries, left the family not long thereafter.
Bob started working at a young age to help support his family by doing odd jobs, including selling newspapers and helping his brothers in the gas station. He remembered selling newspapers on a busy street median on VJ Day in 1945. His two older brothers served in WWII, and then came back to Whittier to continue building the family business. Bob loved to tell how his older brother, Fritz, got the family into the early morning milk delivery business before young Bob had a driver’s license, requiring his mother to ride along in case he was pulled over.
Bob graduated from Whittier High School in 1953, and married his lifelong love, Carol (Frechem), in 1960. He received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering in 1962, from Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences. He worked with ITT Corporation in Los Angeles and then later in Monroe, Louisiana, where he was was part of the engineering and computing team working with NASA on the Mercury Moon Project.
In 1970, he called his wife to say he had found “a beautiful little town in Northern Idaho that looks just like a Swiss Village in the snow.” They moved to Hayden with their young daughter, Kimberly, who was soon followed by another daughter, Kathy, and a son, Kevin, to complete the family. Bob worked many years for General Instruments, Clare Pendar, and then ISC Corporation as an engineer.
A love of engineering, building and problem-solving made Bob a good match for city government. Bob’s public service includes the 15 years he was on the Hayden City Council, his two years as chairman of the Hayden Days Committee, his involvement with Hayden Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis, and his involvement, along with his wife, Carol, with the Hayden Food Bank and the Press Christmas-for-All program. He had an enduring desire to help the city of Hayden plan for inevitable growth, and he focused on infrastructure and parks.
In 1993, Bob was hired as the first City Administrator, where he helped guide the city until he retired in 2001. When he retired, the Spokesman-Review listed the results of his stewardship as: “Finucane Park, Honeysuckle Beach, reliable snow plows, sturdy streets, well-kept parks, a remodeled city hall, a city sewer system, the Hayden Food Bank, a new computer system in city hall, and hundreds of smaller accomplishments.” Always, he tried to accomplish everything for the city in as frugal a manner as possible, remembering the value of a dollar from his childhood.
In a fitting tribute to the years of public service, the city of Hayden named his last project, a 25-acre public park at Ramsey and Lancaster Road, the “Croffoot Park and Sports Complex.” The Park offers fields for baseball, softball and soccer, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, and a tot lot. Bob took great pride in the fact he was able to bring the park into the city fully paid for, with a comprehensive plan for development. He was humbled when the park was named in his honor, and he loved watching his grandchildren play on those fields.
Bob was a devoted father, and tried to raise his children with the values his brothers and sister had instilled in him. He loved his wife, Carol, and his children, and worked to make sure they understood the depth of his community connection. He enjoyed simple pleasures: a great chocolate cake, watching the sunset on the lake, telling stories, his five o’clock Manhattan, and enjoying a good laugh.
He is predeceased by his brothers Cliff and Fritz, and his sister, Lucille. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carol; his brother Charles Jr.; his children Kimberly Croffoot-Suede in New York City and her children with Lance: Ever, Damaris, Boaz and Esme; Kathy Croffoot in Hayden; and Kevin Croffoot in Hayden and his children with Tammy: Jade, Micah, Austin, Danica and Della.
There will be a Memorial Service for Bob at English Funeral Chapel, located in Coeur d’Alene at 1133 North 4th Street, on Saturday, August 6th, 2016 at 3:00 pm, and everyone is welcome.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert Croffoot, please visit our flower store.
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