Robert E. Rector

Born Robert Earl Rector, March 30, 1933 at home in Portland to parents Clifford B. Rector and Mary Susan Rayburn Rector. He joined an older brother, Clifford B. Jr. (Buck) and was later joined by his younger brother, Dale in 1937. Bob attended Ockley Green Grade School and Jefferson High School (he was the Sports Editor for the Jefferson newspaper). He then attended Vanport College (he was the college newspaper editor) and Portland State University (he was the sports editor at PSU). He then transferred to Oregon State and completed a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He had a hard time deciding whether he would be a newspaper reporter or an engineer, and always enjoyed writing.

The Rector family loved the outdoors and enjoyed fishing, especially at Spirit Lake, Washington. They had a cabin at Mt. Hood and fished the streams and lakes there.

Bob had many adoring aunts and uncles and family get-togethers were often and always joyful.

In 1955 Bob was hired as a design engineer with the City of Portland. He did engineering stints in Sanitary Engineering, Street Design and the Water Bureau. He was also the bureau chief of Streets and Structures in the Public Works Department for 3 years. He worked for the City of Portland for over 40 years.

The project that topped off Bob's career at the City according to the Aqua Vox newsletter, "was the Water Bureau's $30 million Groundwater System. Bob designed the well site development, collection mains, transmission mains and supervised several engineers on this 5 year project. The groundwater system is the Bureau's emergency water supply; its productivity was thoroughly tested during the dry fall of 1987."

Bob loved to travel, especially to New York City and Los Angeles. He enjoyed attending the Jack Paar and Jay Leno television shows. He also traveled to Virginia to see relatives of his father (aunts, uncles and cousins). He visited extensively in Europe. He especially enjoyed Norway, Turkey, and Germany.

From his teenage years he enjoyed the hobby of photography. He also loved ballroom dancing and in his later years dear friends took him to the Elks Club to dance.

He enjoyed watching movies and football on television. For years Dale would go to Bob's on Monday night and they would watch football and Dale would make barbecued pork.

Buck Rector died in Italy in April, 1944 during World War II and Dale Rector died in 2016. Bob died in Tualatin, Oregon, September 25, 2018.

Bob is survived by cousins, nephews and many beloved friends.