Robert (Bob) Boyde checked out on June 16, 2025, after a brief illness. It came fast and unfairly, like so many things in life, and now we’re left staring at the empty space where a larger-than-life presence used to be. He was loyal, loud, and kind in the most disarming way. A hurricane of a human wrapped in a Carhartt jacket.
Born December 7, 1968, in Fargo, North Dakota (Pearl Harbor Day, fittingly) Bob was the son of Ed and Jo Boyde and spent his early years as a military brat, bouncing from place to place like a pinball with purpose. North Dakota, D.C., New Jersey, Louisiana, Missouri, California, Hawaii… The man collected addresses like other people collect fridge magnets. Later, he married into the military life and kept right on moving.
He played high school football like a man on a mission, then jumped into construction straight out of school. Over three decades, Bob built or remodeled over 500 homes, each one leaving a mark and many of them with a handwritten note that said “Bob loves April” behind the drywall. One of those homes was his own, where he spent his final years with his wife and 4 dogs.
People called him Storytime Bob, and not just because he talked a lot (though he definitely did). He had a gift for spinning wild, hilarious, and oddly insightful tales that could fill a room and echo long after he left it. Whether you met him once or knew him for years, chances are he made you laugh, and you probably remember exactly what he said.
Bob was the kind of guy who didn’t just live in the world, he charged through it. If there was snow, he skied. If there were waves, he hit them with his bodyboard. He was a Cub Scout, a Civil Air Patrol cadet, a loyal supporter of the military, and an amateur historian with a near-encyclopedic knowledge of World War II. And if you dared to get into politics with him, buckle up – you’d leave either impressed, confused, or both.
He is survived by April, his wife of 23 years, whom he loved deeply and completely. Also surviving are his parents, Ed and Jo Boyde, sister Cheryl Boyde, sister and brother-in-law Michelle and Jordan Brooks, nieces Makenzie and Victoria Boyde, nephews Brady Boyde and Anthony Brooks, and in-laws Sally Manley and Kenny Weiss.
Bob was loud, loyal, endlessly entertaining, and impossible to ignore. The world is a little quieter now, but the echoes of his stories, his laughter, and his legacy live on.
A celebration of Bob’s life will be held later this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to the American Legion or another veterans’ support organization.
Raise a glass. Tell a story. That’s how he’d want to be remembered.