Robert Thomas Powell passed away on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from causes incident to age. He was born on February 14, 1931 to Edward Lewis "Rosie" and Thelma Mae Arnold Powell at Anaconda, Montana. Following a premature birth and life-threatening complications, his life was miraculously spared through faith and priesthood blessings. At the age of one he moved to Rexburg where he lived for the next 86 years. Bob was raised in a wonderful family of loving parents and four brothers. His parents set a wonderful example for him that guided and shaped his life.

He married his high school sweetheart, Eileen Jones, in the Idaho Falls Temple in 1950 and they enjoyed 67 wonderful years of marriage. Together they raised five sons and a daughter. As they lived the Gospel and taught by example, they made their family the focus of their lives. Their children are Glade (Machelle) Powell, Wesley (Terrie) Powell, Kevin (LeAnn) Powell, Kerry (Grethe) Powell, Kirk (Ranae) Powell and Carolyn (Mark) Longhurst. They currently have 32 grandchildren and 62 great-grandchildren.

He graduated from Madison High School, where he excelled at sports. He lettered in football, basketball and track, being the quarterback and on the starting five in basketball all three years of high school. He was active in FFA, earning awards and serving as a leader. He achieved the Eagle Scout rank at 13 years old and then added three Eagle palms. As an adult, he served as an assistant scoutmaster and scoutmaster for 14 years. He served for many years in district scouting positions such as district commissioner and Targhee District chairman. For his service to Scouting, he was awarded the Silver Beaver award.

Though raised in town, his boyhood desire was to be a farmer and he became one from the time of the 8th grade, through persistent hard work and self-made opportunities with small acreages. Starting from scratch, he built and improved several farm locations over his life, raising crops and livestock in the Burton and Mud Lake areas. He received the Outstanding Young Farmer award in 1966 and the Soil Conservation award in 1968. He served as a Rexburg Canal Company board member for 53 years.

Bob served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life. He was an elders' quorum counselor and president, and served on the Rexburg Stake high council where he helped introduce Varsity Scouting to the area. He was a ward mission leader, stake mission president, high priest group leader and a bishop in the Burton 7th Ward. With Eileen, he served as an Idaho Falls Temple ordinance worker for 10 years and filled two local missions at the Idaho Falls Visitors Center and the LDS cannery in Idaho Falls. He loved the associations these callings brought to him.

Bob always had a second job to supplement the farm income. As a teenager he worked for farming relatives and in construction. Later, he worked at a sugar factory and for 15 years was employed by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service. He then began a career with Farm Bureau Insurance that lasted for 33 years, where he won many sales awards and served as the agency manager. This occupation took him to farms and homes throughout Madison, Fremont and Teton counties and made it seem like he knew nearly everyone in the Upper Valley. Frequently his children and grandchildren are told by strangers how much they appreciated Bob and what a good man he was. Publicly, he enjoyed meeting people and serving them in his work and church callings while, to his family, he was man of relatively few words who talked little about himself, preferring to let his wife be the spokesperson.

Bob served on the Madison School District board of trustees for six years, part of that time as chairman. When asked why he put himself into that stressful position, he replied simply that it was his turn to serve.

In partnership with his eternal companion Eileen, he lived a clean, honest, hardworking life that improved farms, strengthened the community and Church, and most of all, blessed the lives of his wife, children, grandchildren and extended family. They are grateful for the good name and legacy he has left them. They honor the sacrifices he made and the opportunities and foundation he gave them. His family is grateful for the knowledge that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he can be reunited with his wife again and continue to be their father and grandfather.

Bob is survived by his children, 31 grandchildren, 60 great grandchildren, brothers Arnold Powell, Don Powell, Ted (Nedra) Powell, sisters-in-law Jerry Powell, Carol Jones, brothers-in-law Robert Jones, Clyde (Helen) Jones. He was preceded in death by his wife Eileen, his parents, sisters Jacqueline and Geraldine Powell, a brother Dick Powell, grandson Eric Longhurst, great-grandchildren Treagan Powell and Olivia Job.

His family expresses thanks to all those who served him at Homestead Assisted Living and his hospice workers.

Viewing and opportunity to meet with his family will be held on Sunday, March 18 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Burton West LDS Chapel, 3958 West 2000 South, Rexburg, Idaho. Funeral services to honor his life will be held at that same location at 11 a.m., Monday, March 19, with family visitation time from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will be at the Annis Little Butte Cemetery.