Jan. 13, 1929 – Jan. 30, 2013
Robbie Gene Lake, 84, of Sweet Home died Jan. 30, 2013.
He was born Jan. 13, 1929 in Clebit, Okla. to Clyde William and Elsie Lee (Malone) Lake.
He grew up in the timber company logging camps of Oklahoma. He moved to Sprague River after high school with his family in 1947. Soon after, he moved to Lakeview, where he lived for the majority of his life.
Mr. Lake was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force as a tech staff sergeant, serving as a radar technician from September 1950 to September 1954. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
He owned and operated Lake’s Mid-Town Gas in Lakeview for more than 30 years and employed many of the community’s young people over those years. He closed his business and retired in 2000 at the age of 71. He loved Lakeview and the unique high desert of Eastern Oregon.
He was a hardworking and committed provider for his family and spent much of his time working, but in his spare time he contributed several years to volunteering as the president of the local Little League Baseball Association. He liked hunting, fishing, and especially looking for arrowheads. In his retirement years he built many Bob’s Barnwood Birdhouses and sold them at the local Saturday Market; they are now in countless residential backyards. He was sad to leave the community of Lake-view, but desiring to be near his family, he moved to Sweet Home in 2005.
Mr. Lake is survived by his wife, Ramona Jewell (Story) Lake of Sweet Home; daughter Gwen-dlyn and son-in-law Mike Lindsey of Sweet Home; son William (Ron) and daughter-in-law Lois Lake of Sweet Home; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, all of Sweet Home.
He was preceded in death by his father, Clyde William Lake; mother Elsie Lee (Malone) Lake; and brother Bill Lake.
Contributions may be made in his memory to the Christian Life Center Church of God, in care of Rev. Wayne Breshears, 17967 Hwy. 395 N, Lakeview, OR 97360.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.