Obituary: Bob Kitch

He graduated from University of Oregon Dental School in 1974, and he and Gayle moved to White Salmon, Washington, where he started his dental practice. He retired from dentistry in July 1998. He was blessed in his dental career with the best, most loyal employees ever!

While practicing he was a contract dentist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs river people. He and Gayle made many wonderful friends and lasting relationships with some of these patients.

Bob was very interested in the study of early man and their life skills, which led him on a whole new journey outside of dentistry, flintknapping, hide tanning, flute making, bow and arrow making, darts, and atlatl making. He became quite accomplished at atlatl throwing and was ranked among the top 10 throwers in the world for several years. In 2017, he hosted the World Atlatl Associations annual meeting and throwing competition at their Husum, Washington, home.

He lived and enjoyed many adventures: Hiking and camping in the Oregon High desert; floating rivers in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; he was a volunteer and president for the National Park Service at Ft. Clatsop; attended pow-wows in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico, and Arizona; gold mining in Alaska; boating in the San Juans and up into BC; attending and teaching at primitive skills gatherings in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Arizona; travelled the Northwest Passage from Greenland to Nome, Alaska, Norway to Iceland; for more than 20 years wintered in Arizona, where he took up silversmithing, which Gayle thinks was the best hobby ever! It was great, fun filled life with many wonderful friends and memories. A life lived to the fullest.

Bob is survived by his wife of 50 years, Gayle Kitch; sister, Vickie Duncan; sisters-in-law, Marsha Brewer (Jim), and Bonnie Kerlee (Steve); numerous nephews and nieces; and our Native American, and our atlatl and primitive skills family.

A celebration of life will be later this spring.