Tributes

Robert (Bob) Frederick Noland is undoubtedly dancing to some modern jazz tune while dreaming up the next line to his latest poem, his paintbrushes within reach awaiting a spark of inspiration. Bob, though, was far more than a poet, a painter and a dreamer of big dreams; he was, to his core, an utterly devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather who relentlessly inspired his family to “make the most of every moment.” Bob is dancing indeed, no longer stuck in bed. He soared into his Lord’s arms peacefully from home on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the age of 89. Born in Rigby, Idaho on August 5, 1934, Bob’s parents, Jack and Florence Noland, raised him a couple of hours down the road in Jerome. He tried his hand at his dad’s farm near Shoshone, but hay fever forced him back to Jerome and a job at Roper’s clothing store. Bob attended Idaho State College from 1952 to 1954 and then transferred to the University of Oregon where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1956. The ensuing years launched him around the world. He became a Naval oﬃcer—and was always a gentleman—commanded a ship, joined the Foreign Service, did secret things for the U.S. government goodness knows where, and along the way, he fell in love with Nguyen Thi Huong in Saigon, Vietnam. They married on April 19, 1964. Bob returned to school in the States and earned his Master’s in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oregon, joining its Chicano Studies team. Bob later taught cultural anthropology at Umpqua Community College. During this time, his old friends in the U.S. government came calling. Things were brewing in Lebanon, and they wondered if he might want to work there for a while. Knowing what it would entail, he decided against it and eventually moved his family north to the Last Frontier. His new career would be as a systems analyst at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Quite a few cold years later, he and his family ﬁnally defrosted in California’s Central Valley where Bob would once again work as a systems analyst, but this time at Stanislaus State. He retired in 2015 and was ﬁnally able to revel in his and Huong’s verdant garden, working side-by-side with his “beautiful rose,” Huong Thi’s meaning in English. Bob was preceded in death by his mother, Florence Fredricka Noland, and his father, John David Noland. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Huong Thi Noland; his daughter, Lucy Noland; his sons, Shawn Noland and Jonathan Noland; his grandchildren, Gaibel Noland, Alec Noland, Christian Noland, Robert Noland, Harrison Noland, Bay Noland-Armstrong, Nanami Noland, Ayami Noland; his daughters-in-law, Cristi Noland and Rieko Noland; in addition to his many adored cousins. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at Turlock Funeral Home. Following the service, Bob will be laid to rest at Turlock Memorial Park. To view the funeral service remotely, please select the link below; https://www.viewlogies.net/turlock/2jyJnfvAB?pin=105312

Tributes

Robert (Bob) Frederick Noland

August 5, 1934 - May 9, 2024