Robert J. (Bob) Holmes was born on July 27, 1949 at Moscow, Idaho. He passed away on November 23, 2019 in Pullman, Washington. Bob was born to Donald C. and Kathryn Jean Graham Holmes. He spent his entire life in Pullman. He went to school at the old Franklin Grade School, attended Gladish in seventh grade and was a member of the first eighth grade class at what was the Lincoln Junior High. He spent his high school years at Gladish, graduating in 1967. He spent the next four years at Washington State University graduating in 1971. Bob was active in his youth with both baseball and music.

He worked various part time jobs in his younger days including harvest jobs and service station jobs. Following his college graduation, he went to work for the Pullman Grain Growers which then merged with Colfax Grain Growers to form Whitman County Growers. It was during this time that he met and fell in love with Ruth Poffenroth from Endicott. After a lengthy courtship they were married in 1981.

Bob worked his way up through the ranks at Whitman County Growers and became manager in 1988, a job he held for twenty years until a merge with Genesee Union Warehouse in 2008, forming Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative. He continued working for them until his death. During his time with the "growers" he served on various boards in the industry. He and Ruth were active members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Pullman and they have maintained many lifelong friendships from childhoods spent both in Pullman and Endicott.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father. He is survived by his wife Ruth at their home in Pullman, sister Lynn (Sam) McNary in Spokane, WA, sister Julie (Don) Lefever in White Rock, B.C. as well as two nieces, 2 nephews, and four great nieces.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pullman. The graveside service will be in the Endicott Cemetery at 11:00 AM. Viewing will be at Bruning Funeral Home in Colfax on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 to 5. On-line guest book is at www.bruningfuneralhome.com

Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is caring for the family.