Robert “Bob” Oakland, of Great Falls, Montana, passed away of natural causes on Monday June 15th, 2020, at the well lived age of 94. Bob’s father died on Pearl Harbor Day and shortly after that, he, his mother, and brother, left the plains of Saskatchewan, Canada to come to America where he graduated from Fort Benton High School and joined the United States Navy where he gained his U.S. citizenship. Bob was proud to become a citizen because the United States, in his eyes, was his only home.
In 1947 he met his lifelong love, Gladyce Campbell, and the two were married on September 25, 1949. Bob and Gladyce started their family shortly after with the birth of their first daughter, Kris, and finishing with the birth of their second daughter, Leslie, in 1957. Bob and Gladyce lived happily together, almost inseparable, for 70 years. In the early years, they enjoyed camping with their family in Glacier National Park and, in the later years, spending time at Flathead Lake in Bigfork, Montana.
In 1953 Bob started work at City Motor Company when it was located downtown. Eventually buying it in 1961, he moved its location to 10th Ave. South where he built and expanded the business. In 1967 the dealership boasted the largest Chevrolet showroom west of Chicago. Bob took great pride in his company. Being a car dealer is a way of life, and Bob loved living that life. He treated the company like a family by carefully building and cultivating relationships with employees and customers, a tradition that continues today with the next generation.
Bob’s love of his community was evident in his involvement and contributions to numerous organizations in Great Falls and Montana, ranging from Rotary Club and Scottish Rite to the McLaughlin Research Center and C.M. Russell Museum, United Way of Cascade County and Special Olympics of Montana, Great Falls Public Schools, and many more. To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
