Robert Hepton June 8, 1937 – March 28, 2015

Robert Hepton, 77, passed away suddenly on March 28, 2015.

He was born on June 8, 1937, to Virgil and Clara Dziuk Hepton in Spokane. He attended St. Paschals grade school and graduated from Central Valley High School in 1955, where he was very involved with FFA. He attended Eastern Washington State College for two years. The family farm in Greenacres, Wash., planted a love of animals and farming in Bob’s heart.

In 1964, he bought a small farm of his own in Greenacres and on April 23, 1966, he married Judy Reinbold. They raised thoroughbred horses for a few years, racing them in Coeur d’Alene, Yakima, Spokane, Seattle and Portland. In 1968, a daughter, Jackie, joined the family and in 1970 a son, John. A new adventure awaited all of them as they sold the farm and moved to a cattle ranch on Crow Creek near Enterprise, Ore. In 1975, son Jeffrey joined the ranch crew. The family grew up and thrived even though sometimes the work days were long — branding calves, trailing cattle to pasture, feeding hay in the winter. But there were perks — fishing for trout in Crow Creek a few feet from the back door and in our own private pond that Bob had built.

In 1989, Bob, Judy and Jeff moved up Asotin Creek, where they still had cattle for a few years and raised hogs, selling many as 4-H and FFA projects. As the cattle and hog market declined, life changed as animals were sold. Bob worked for a short time for Tri-State Health and Rehab driving residents to appointments and helping with maintenance. A few years ago, Bob decided to raise quarter horses and purchased broodmares and his stallion, Willy.

Bob loved: above all else, his family; building houses with his mom; fishing with his grandchildren and traveling to watch them compete in Irish dance competitions — even to Scotland; ranching on Crow Creek; good horses, cattle and cow dogs; county and state fairs; portraying Santa Claus at church and the nursing home; raising seedlings and veggies to give away, especially to his sisters-in-law; volunteering by delivering Meals on Wheels; helping with Family Promise and serving with the First Presbyterian Church mission team on local mission trips; watching the Seahawks and Gonzaga basketball.

Bob will be remembered for: his genuine smile; generous spirit and hearty laugh; his good-natured willingness to help anyone who needed a hand; helping his kids and their friends with 4-H and FFA projects; figuring out how to put this and that together to make something useful; his special family nicknames; and gift of telling stories.

His parents and a sister, Patsy Hepton, preceded him in death.

He is survived by his wife, Judy, on Asotin Creek; daughter and son-in-law Jackie and Dwight Fleming, Enterprise; son and daughter-in-law John and Jodi Hepton, Nampa, Idaho; and son and daughter-in-law Jeff and Heather Hepton, Wenatchee, Wash.; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at 12:30 p.m. May 31 in the Asotin City Park. The family will provide barbecue beef, drinks and table service. Please join us with a potluck dish and stories of knowing Bob.

Memorials may be made to the Asotin Fair Board, marked for the new livestock barn; or the Clarkston First Presbyterian Church, designated for the missions ministry.