Alphonso "Bob" Grande, 77

Alphonso "Bob" Grande, 77, a native of Virginia, departed this earth in Ephrata, Wash., on September 20, 2012 to be with his Lord and maker.

He was the son of Alphonso and Gladys Grande.  

Bob's family came to Alaska in the early 1960s after graduating from the University of Washington, with a degree in logging engineering. He worked for Ketchikan Pulp Co. for several years. He returned to Washington and began working with Redford Engineering Inc., which ultimately led him to work in Petersburg on the Petersburg wastewater treatment facility. He moved his family to Petersburg in the 1970s and found work with construction firms that worked on the City's water reservoir and sewer and water projects, and Phases 1, 2, and 3 of Nordic Drive.

In 1980, Bob, Ray Sandegren and Don Koenigs formed Constructech Inc. The firm provided construction staking and engineering services to the Tyee Hydro Project at Bradfield Canal and to the Greens Creek Mining Project on Admiralty Island. Upon completion of these projects, Bob turned to commercial fishing. His boat, the Moonshadow plied the water for several years before he retired and moved to Port Angeles, Wash. Bob made annual trips to Petersburg Creek for 20 years to fish for steelhead with friends. He was the consummate fisherman but he never kept a fish. It was catch and release.

He was preceded in death by his father and his sister, Marianna Wood.

He is survived by Ilda Britton, his companion at death and the mother of his children, Norman Grande and Robert (Palinda) Grande and David Grande; four grandchildren; sisters Patricia Grande and Rosemary Smith and brother David Grande; one nephew and nieces.

There will be a memorial service for Bob in May of 2013 on Petersburg Creek, where his ashes will be placed, per his request.