Daily Sitka Sentinel

Services Set March 29 For Robert R. Edenso

Robert Richard Edenso

Services for Robert Richard Edenso, 83, will be held 2 p.m. Monday, March 29,  at Sitka National Cemetery. A reception will follow at 3:30 p.m.  upstairs at Sitka Moose Lodge. 

Robert, known to his friends as Bob, was born Nov. 20, 1936, in Craig, Alaska, and passed away March 20, 2021, in Sitka. When he was 9, his parents, Robert Morris Edenso and Mary Elizabeth Fitzgibbon, moved to Sitka for the fishing, and he has always returned to his beloved hometown. He Graduated from Sheldon Jackson High School in 1954. After a year of junior college at Sheldon Jackson, he joined the U.S. Army and became a member of the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” Paratroopers. 

Bob met Loretta Jewel Williams in 1958, and they married at the Sitka First Presbyterian Church on Oct. 28, 1961.

Bob worked at Alaska Lumber & Pulp Company as a digester operator and as a maintenance electrician. He was a member of IBEW and worked as journeyman electrician on various construction jobs.

In his retirement years, Bob did what he enjoyed most as a commercial fisherman. His greatest passion in life was fishing both commercial and sport. He was committed to his many commercial trolling vessels – the F/V Bar-Ber-Etta, F/V SonRay, F/V Ocean Raven, F/V Bobby’s Girl, and the F/V Pamala D.

Loretta, his wife and partner, was affectionately known to the troll fleet as “The Admiral,” and Loretta lovingly called Bob “Captain Bligh,” of Bounty fame. Bob and Loretta spent many hours on the fishing grounds together. Loretta expertly steered the boat along the well-known trolling drags and kept the crew well-fed. Bob enjoyed playing on pool league teams, dart league teams, and many bowling league teams. He was sought after for his dance skills, and he and Loretta rarely missed Friday night dancing.

Bob was a lifetime member of the Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, the American Legion, and the Sitka Sportsman’s Association. 

Bob is survived by his two sons, Bart C. Edenso, his wife Kim, and Bert L. Edenso of Sitka. Bob was proud of his three grandchildren, Eric Edenso, Megan Lindstrom, Bryan Mayville, and three great-grandchildren, Kristin Jewel Edenso, Allyson Mayville, and Carvel Swensen.

Bob was the oldest of five children and his Mom’s “one and only son.” His sisters are Tina Leask (deceased) of Anchorage, Georgianna Zimmerle and Marly Edenso of Ketchikan, and Laurie Unruh of Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

After the loss of his great love and partner, Bob and their longtime friend Claudia Donnally, who had lost her husband, grew close and gave each other companionship. For the past 16 years, Bob and Claudia have enjoyed a wonderful relationship, supporting each other in good and hard times and always laughing and dancing together. Although it wasn’t her favorite thing, Claudia did her time on the water supporting Bob as he pursued his love of smacking salmon on Sitka Sound and Baranof Shore fishing grounds each summer.

The family wishes to recognize and appreciate the love and support given by Claudia’s family, Erin and John Hansen, Katie Rouse, and Carl Lindstrom. As the years passed, these wonderful helpers were generously involved in the daily caretaking of Bob as age attacked his health. 

The family wants to humbly honor lifelong friends as pallbearers: Tom Budd, Brian Martin, Todd Nevers, Don Seesz, Donny Garrity, Stretch Zimmerle, and Christopher Jackson; and honorary pallbearers Carol Williams and Carroll Goddard.

For the reception, a side dish to share would be welcome, the family said. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Swan Lake Senior Center.