ROBERT (BOB) LAUREN LOPER Robert (Lefty) Roohr Robert (Bob) Lauren Loper, age 75, Richland, WA, (born Robert Lauren Rothlauf), was born on July 14, 1942, in Burlington, Iowa, to Anita B. Loper and Robert A. Rothlauf. During his school years, he used his step-father's last name of Roohr, was called Butch by relatives and Lefty by classmates. He lived in Richland 74 years. Suffering a stroke on April 13, Bob passed away May 1, 2018, in Kennewick. Our most sincere thanks to the staff and volunteers of Chaplaincy Hospice House for their gentle, compassionate care. At age 18 months, Bob and his mother moved to Richland. Bob's life was shaped by his grandparents, Leslie and Ethel Loper, with whom he lived most of his childhood. From a very young age, Bob had a passion and talent for baseball, which he played from little league through semi-pro. He enjoyed fishing and hunting with his grandfather. Bob graduated from Columbia (Richland) High School in 1960, and earned his AA degree at Columbia Basin College in 1963.

Bob served in the U.S. Army, 1964-1966, trained both as a medic and shooting instructor, stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Following military service, Bob worked for Thrifty Drugs in Uptown, Richland, where he met his future wife, Janis Kathleen (Kathy, Kate) Rathjen. They were married in Richland, April 5, 1967. Together, they raised a daughter, Jenny, and son, Shane. In 1975, Bob joined J.A. Jones Construction Services Co., Hanford, WA. He worked as a principal radiation protection technician most of his years at Hanford, retiring in 2003. Soon after that, Bob was asked by longtime friend, Marty Huard, to work at Accent Signs for 10 days, a new career that lasted another decade. Bob was a formidable competitor in all he chose to do, but he equally loved the comradery and deep friendships that grew out of those endeavors which included trapshooting, bass fishing and poker. In 1979, as Singles Champion, Bob represented Washington at the Amateur Trapshooting Association's national championships in Vandalia, Ohio. In 1986, Bob and Shane won the WSTA Parent/Child singles championship with 398/400, a national record that held for many years. Bob was inducted into the Washington State Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame in 1991. He was a lifetime member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association, and the Columbia Basin Bass Club. Bob is survived by his wife, Kathy, daughter Jennifer G. Buchanan, Richland, WA, son, L. Shane Loper and daughter-in-law, Kristin Loper, Dayton, WA; grandsons Robert L. Loper II, Ashton L. Loper, and Logan B. Buchanan; step-mother Phyllis Rothlauf, Des Moines IA; brothers David E. Roohr (Launa), Las Vegas, NV, James B. Roohr, West Richland, WA, and Patrick A. Rothlauf (Pam), Des Moines, IA and sister-in-law Christy Rothlauf, Des Moines, IA; sisters-in-law Betsy J. Taylor (George), and Karen L. Todd (Bill), nieces and nephews, and "like a brother" David Standley (Jeany). Bob was preceded in death by his parents, and brother Michael A. Rothlauf. A celebration of Bob's life will be held at Einan's at Sunset event center, 915 Bypass Highway, Richland, May 18, 2018, at 2 p.m. Following cremation, Bob's ashes will be released in Hell's Canyon in Idaho, on the Snake River. Donations may be made to Prader-Willi Syndrome Assoc. (PWSA-USA), 8588 Potter Park Drive, Suite 500, Sarasota, FL 34238.