Obituaries for April 26, 2010

‘Bob’ Wickam

Robert Clark “Bob’ Wickam, 88, of La Grande died April 3, 2010, at his home surrounded by family and friends.

His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Mountain Conference Center, in La Grande.

Robert “Bob” Wickam was born on Sept. 25, 1921, at home in Baker City. He was the youngest of 10 children born to Jonathan Halsey and Amy Blanche Clark Wickam. He attended Baker schools and was a 1939 Baker High School graduate.

Robert married Charlene Mynatt in 1940 in Washington State, where they worked in apple orchards. Robert worked for Boeing from 1942 to 1944.

The family then returned to Baker City and Robert joined the U.S. Navy in May 1944 where he served in the Pacific during World War II. After a decorated and honorable discharge in 1946, he returned to Baker City. 

He married Myrtle Cook in 1947 in Baker City. He drove taxi and school bus and worked for family at their dairies.

His 38-year fire service career started in Baker City in 1950. During this time, Robert taught first aid classes to the residents of Baker through the Extension office.

He married Wilma Francis in 1954 at Baker City. In 1960 he became the first paid fire chief of Beaverton where he designed a map system for the fire hydrants in Washington County.

He hosted the Oregon Fire Chief Convention in 1963, serving as co-chair. In 1963 he took the position of fire chief at Milwaukie and in 1966 he moved to La Grande to serve as fire chief. At all his fire stations he was dedicated to having well-trained volunteer and paid Personnel and initiated many “Burn to Learn” exercises.

He was elected president of the Oregon Fire Chief Association in 1965-66. Robert was instrumental in the hiring of the first fire marshal in Oregon, which was signed into law by then-Gov. Mark Hatfield.

In 1969 he took a position with the U.S. Embassy Vietnam as civilian fire chief in charge of training at all U.S. installations to train the South Vietnamese. He was there until 1975 when Vietnam fell and was on the second to the last helicopter out, the last being the Marines.

In 1975, Robert took a position as a civil supervisor of the Fire and  Safety Department, which sent him to the North Slopes and then to Germany. He married Thuy Vo in Washington State. In 1983 Robert went to work in King County, Wash., as deputy fire marshal until 1985 when he had a near fatal car crash. He was forced to retire from the fire service in 1988. 

In 1990 Bob moved back to La Grande. He had served as commander of the American Legion, Post 43, in La Grande for the past two years and was very passionate about the Legion projects he was involved in. He was also a past member of the Elks Lodge and Eagles and Lions clubs for many years in several of the cities in which he lived.

Survivors include his children and their spouses, R. Dale and Doris Wickam of Silverton, Sharon and Richard Blacketer of Mullen, Idaho, Linda and Fred Foersterling of Baker City, Rodney and Carmen Wickam of Baker City, Lawanna Wickam of La Grande, Lalonni and Kelly Haggerty of La Grande, Lalessa and Jim Wyatt of Crystal Beach, Fla., Laletta and Archie Benner of Pocatello, Idaho, Desiree Hong of Kent, Wash., Letta Wickam of Santa Monica, Calif., Ricky Wickam of Kent, Wash., and Melissa Wickam of La Grande; 33 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; eight sisters; one brother; and his son, Neil C. Wickam.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Eastern Oregon Chapter of the American Red Cross through Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St., in La Grande.