Robert "Bob" Bushman

Robert “Bob” Bushman, 89, passed away June 11, 2026, in Sublimity, Oregon. He was born June 6, 1937, in Hot Springs, South Dakota, to Fred Bushman and Alice Kennedy Bushman, and was raised in Burns, Oregon with his six older sisters.

Bob graduated from Burns High School in 1955. As a teenager, he worked summers on ranches in eastern Oregon and was known for telling stories about his time stacking hay at a ranch in Crane. He continued his education over the following years before earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Oregon State University in 1961. 

He volunteered for the United States Army and following basic training was assigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he taught officers and noncommissioned officers how to repair portable generators. He was later assigned to the United States Army Signal Corps in Vietnam, where he supported field operations by helping establish wireless phone systems.

Following his military service, Bob began his career in education before transitioning to federal service. He built a long career with the Social Security Administration, including work in the Bay Area, Baltimore, and the Bakersfield, California area. He served as an Office Manager in the Bakersfield area and was known for building effective teams and empowering his staff. He retired in 1995.

After his years in California, Bob later returned to Oregon. In retirement, he remained active in a range of pursuits, including volunteering with local veterans organizations.

Bob is survived by his children, Joshua Brian Bushman and his spouse, Samuel Watson; Jennifer Bushman Ellis and her spouse, Duncan Ellis; his grandchildren, Russell Ellis and Baxter Ellis; and two of his sisters, Dorothy Hughes and Hazel Gonzales and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the United Methodist Church on August 1 at 1:00 p.m. at 1450 Fern Ridge Rd SE, Stayton, OR 97383. His ashes will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery during a private family ceremony on July 31.