Robert Gies

Robert aka “Bobby, Robert L, RL, Bobarino, Bob” Gies came into this world born to Gloria Johnson & Paul Gies, where he was raised deep in the mountains of Montana. He grew up exploring the wilderness with his younger brother Mark, older brother Tony, and many cousins fishing, hiking, and skiing every ridge they could find. He learned early the magic of rivers, ridges, and open sky. Nature was his first teacher, and it stayed with him all his life.

Bob was a full‑blown athlete his entire life, strong, fearless, and always in motion. In high school in Belt, Montana, he was the football star everyone knew, a running back who proudly held the record of rushing over a mile. He was also an amazing & fast track star. As an adult, he became an avid tennis player, cyclist, fly fisherman, and a proud cross‑country skier of Lolo Peak and Wisherd Ridge. He loved reminding people that he could still outski his younger friends and he absolutely could.

At 21, Bob set off for Australia on a whim, beginning a lifetime of adventure. He later returned to the States to marry his wife Cheryl, earned his degree, and graduated from the University of Montana in 1972. He soon brought his wife (his best friend and the love of his life) traveling through Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, where they learned they were expecting their only child, Amie. They returned to the States for her birth and later brought her back to Australia, where she celebrated her first birthday.

Bob & Cheryl’s love began when she was just 14, a bond that grew from teenage friendship into a lifelong partnership. They dated off and on through high school (he was the football star and she was on the Pep Squad) and went on to share nearly 59 years of marriage. Their relationship was the kind people dream of, best friends who talked about everything, grew together, supported each other through every season, and showed their affection openly. They held hands every evening while watching TV, hugged often, and loved each other with a tenderness and steadiness that everyone around them could feel.

As a father, Bob was everything a daughter could hope for. He was Amie’s biggest supporter from the start, always in her corner, believing in her, and gently pushing her to do her best. He shaped her with his mix of competitiveness, compassion, and street smarts, and she inherited his gregarious laughter and his instinct to make people feel seen. He celebrated her wins, carried her through her losses, and offered the kind of advice that always landed at the right moment. He made the world feel safe, accepted her completely, and taught her how to be strong without losing her softness. He was the first person she wanted to call with good news, and his steady, unconditional love remains woven into who she is.

For 17 wonderful years, Bob poured his creativity into his 2,000‑sq‑ft gourmet food cookware and deli shop-In Good Taste, where his sandwiches were legendary. He liked to describe it as a mix of Dean & Deluca, Williams Sonoma, and Sur La Table. He loved attending the Fancy Food Show every year in San Francisco and was always ahead of the trends in the food and cookware world. He was the family chef, a true foodie who appreciated fine cuisine but also loved the simple joy of corndogs, tacos, and Chinese food.

In retirement, Bob found peace in his garden, creating a lush oasis full of flowers, trees, fruit trees, and vegetables, visited by robins, chickadees, and even the pileated woodpecker. Later in life, with the help of his niece Kaitlyn Gies, he was able to continue with his passion of gardening, teaching her all of his secrets. He loved his weekly hot springs trips with his wife and their best/lifelong friend Jan, a ritual filled with laughter, peace, happiness and wildlife sightings. They were nicknamed “the 3 amigos” by the regulars. Bob had friends from every walk of life, and he always joked that if he ever put all of his different friends with their wildly different personalities in one room, it would be absolute chaos. He made friends everywhere he went, effortlessly striking up conversations and leaving people smiling. He loved his hats, loved making people laugh, and loved making people feel seen. Behind his humor was a deeply sensitive, empathetic man with a strong love and connection to the Native Americans, their spirituality and bald eagles.

Bob was family‑oriented to his core. To many, he was a second father; to everyone, he was a source of joy. He leaves behind a legacy of love, generosity, humor, and adventure, a life lived fully and a heart that touched countless others.

Bob is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Cheryl; his daughters, Amie Valverde and Darcy May; his brothers, Mark and Tony Gies; his cousins, Toni Gies and John Gies; and numerous extended family members who loved him deeply. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that donations be made to the Bicuspid Foundation https://bicuspidfoundation.org/ in Bob’s honor.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at a later date, to be determined this summer or fall. Details will be shared with family and friends once arrangements are made, and an announcement will also be published in the local paper.