Robert Lloyd Pender

October 16, 1932 ~ June 25, 2021

Robert ‘Bob’ Lloyd Pender passed away in Medicine Hat on Friday, June 25, 2021, at the age of 88 years. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Gail; children, Robin (Todd), Bruce (Trudy); step-children, Laura (Murray) and David (Leah); grandchildren, Heather (Adam), Kimberly, Jaclyn (Zach), Alix (Calen), Kyle, Evan, Aiden and Emily and not to be forgotten are the little ‘Greats’, Clark, Jake and Sophie. Bob also leaves his sister, Lorna and brother-in-law, Ron as well as many nieces and nephews along with his two longtime good friends, Len Welling and Dr. Al Wilke. He was predeceased by his parents, Percy and Winifred Pender; brother, David (Irene) Pender; brother-in-law, Reg Phaff; sister, Margaret Douglas and special cousins, Marjorie and Alice Middleton. Bob was born on October 16, 1932, in North Battleford, SK., where his father was on a temporary work contract. He was the third of four children born to Percy and Winifred Pender. The family moved back to Medicine Hat when Bob was about one year old. There, he grew up and went all through school.  It is also where he started his long and successful career with AGT. Bob’s first job was cleaning the plugs on the old Central Office switch, but that was just the beginning. When he retired, Bob had worked in microwave, television operating centre with TV and radio systems and retired from heavy route carrier. Bob married his first wife, Astrid in 1953, and they had Robin and Bruce. They moved to Calgary in 1967, where he continued his AGT career. They were married for 23 years. Bob then married Gail and welcomed his step-children, Laura and David into his world. They had many adventures moving from Calgary to Medicine Hat, then to Penticton and back to Medicine Hat. Along the way they met many new friends and made many great memories. Bob and Gail recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary in May. He was a loving and patient family man.  Bob always made time to listen and gave excellent advice and observations. He could be firm when the situation required it, but his family also learned over time that sometimes he wasn’t quite as stern as we thought. When we had done something hilariously stupid and he had to deal with us, his ears would turn bright red, his nostrils would flare and he would get a weird grimace on his face. Bob would then leave the room as we learned later that he had to go because he was afraid of bursting out laughing. He always had our backs. Bob had many varied interests over the years.  He had two accomplishments of which he was very proud. The first one was getting his private pilot’s license at the age of 19 and the second was becoming a rally car driver. His good sportsmanship was displayed in one particular rally. Bob and his navigator were in the lead when they came across their closest competitor stuck in a soggy ditch. They stopped and helped pull them out and then went on to win the rally. He was also an avid golfer, skier, fisherman and at one time, a hunter. In addition, Bob was a beautiful artist and an exceptional photographer. One photo of his granddaughter, Jaclyn earned him an award. Bob enjoyed studying and talking about science, technology and the cosmos; let’s not forget how he loved a good political/philosophical discussion. Bob will be remembered for his love of animals and all the pets he had in his life. In addition to his family, there are many friends and ex-co-workers who will miss him and remember him with great affection. A celebration of Bob’s life will take place on Saturday, July 3, 2021, in Okotoks, AB. (Condolences may be expressed by visiting our website: www.cooksouthland.com) Honoured to serve the family is Cook Southland Funeral Chapel, Crematorium & Reception Facility, 901 – 13 Street S.W., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 4V4. Telephone 403-527-6455

• Date : 2021-06-25
• Location : Medicine Hat, Alberta

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