Robert Bickford

ROBERT J. BICKFORD

West Branch

Robert J. Bickford, 75, passed away Sunday, May 22, 2016, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 26, at Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in the West Branch Cemetery. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.hendersonbarkerfuneralhome.com. A memorial fund has been established. The family has requested casual dress when attending the visitation and celebration of life.

Robert James Bickford was born Sept. 10, 1940, in Claremont, N.H., the son of Orville and Jennie Bickford. He was baptized June 20, 1943, at West Unity United Methodist Church, West Unity, N.H. He was a graduate of West Branch High School with the class of 1958. Bob served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1961, stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. On Aug. 18, 1963, he was united in marriage to the former Mary Sue Harrington at First Baptist Church in Iowa City. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in Grand Lake, Colo.

Bob was employed with Procter and Gamble in Iowa City in 1965 and promoted to management in 1974. In April 1994, Bob finished his career at P&G as a staff industrial engineer where he utilized all the skills and experiences that he had developed in his career. He developed a personal computer-based production planning application that was used in Iowa City and then reapplied at other P&G locations in the U.S. and internationally. Bob also became an expert and an accomplished trainer in rapid changeover techniques and traveled the globe training and consulting at many different sites. He led the Iowa City plant's entry into the club store business and was recognized for building this key business area through his entrepreneurial spirit and organizational ability.

He was a member of the Downey Baptist Church. Bob had a special bond with five Boston terriers, was a skilled woodworker. Many children have enjoyed the chairs and rocking horses he made. Bob enjoyed hosting backyard BBQs. He and Sue enjoyed camping and the many trips they made, going to Colorado every summer, trout fishing, hiking in the high country, exploring old ghost towns and mines, cross country ski trips to northern Wisconsin and the last 18 years camping trips to Sunrise Bay Camp Ground at Nelson Lake, Hayward, Wis.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Sue; brothers, Charles (Cleva) Bickford, Don Bickford, Norman (Pat) Bickford, Dean (Twyla) Bickford and Bruce (Diane) Bickford; and sisters, Kathy Leong and Ella (Doug) VanCamp. Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Dixie (Wayne) Walker; a special nephew, Steve (Joey) Young, and their family, Ryan, Jaime, Luke and Jack; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, David; and mother-in-law, Bennie Harrington.

A special thank you to the doctors and staff at the UIHC, especially Dr. Antonio Sanchez, Dr. Daniel Katz, Dr. Aaron Scott and Dr. Lillian Erdahl.