SANDPOINT — Bob Gooby can’t imagine living anywhere else.

He’s never lived outside Bonner County in his 90 years — it’s always been home. On Tuesday, Gooby was celebrated by staff and guests at the Sandpoint Senior Center in honor of his milestone birthday.

“It’s the best place in the world to grow up,” Gooby said.

“One thing about Bonner County is that it has a lot of good people,” he added. “It makes it pleasant to be here.”

Gooby grew up on a farm on Gooby Road, where his family has lived since his grandparents moved to the area before the turn of the century — his grandmother’s family from Minnesota and his grandfather’s from England.

There was always something to do on the farm, whether it was chores or caring for the animals. In their spare time, depending on the season, the family would head into the mountains to hunt or to the lake or nearby streams to fish.

He and his siblings — brothers Richard and Patrick and sister Marylin — rode horses all over the countryside, exploring and enjoying the adventures. While his sister has since passed, Gooby’s two brothers are still living.

“One thing about it, the three of us boys reached 80 years old, and not one of us spent a day in jail,” Gooby said with a grin. “We’re pretty proud of that.”

In addition to running the farm, the family operated a meat processing plant. For a time, Gooby worked as a butcher.

It was during his time at the plant that a conversation with a meat inspector led to another career — farming and sheep ranching. Intrigued by the inspector’s comments, Gooby became interested in sheep and eventually had a herd of more than 70 ewes.

“It was quite a job — getting up in the morning, going to the sheep barn during lambing season, taking care of the lambs, and then going to work,” Gooby said. “Then I’d come back and do it all over again.”

He learned early on the value of hard work and didn’t mind the long hours. The hard work “got to be kind of a habit,” he said — one he enjoyed because he loved what he did.

“It was — and is — a good life,” Gooby said. “The schools were good, the teachers were all good, and this is just a great place to be.”

It’s that quality of life — the outdoors and the people — that make the community special, creating a home Gooby never wanted to leave. He loves both the mountains and the farmlands, seeing the animals and enjoying the beauty of it all.

Now retired from farming and butchering, Gooby enjoys visiting with friends at the Sandpoint Senior Center and going for drives with Nancy Taylor, who works as his senior companion.

He also loves watching deer, turkeys and other wildlife from his window on days when he’s home.

“So, it’s still not that terrible,” he said with a chuckle.

Shortly after the lunchtime crowd at the center broke into a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” and the cake was being sliced, Gooby said he was surprised when he was directed to a chair decorated with balloons and a birthday sign.

“It felt pretty good,” he said.

As for the secret to his long life, Gooby credited luck and modern medical care.

“None of my immediate family has reached that age, and I really don’t know — beyond, I guess, a lot of luck,” he said. “When my dad died of a heart attack, they didn’t have the medical things they do now. I’ve had open-heart surgery, and without things like that, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Asked if he had any advice to share, Gooby paused for a moment.

“Well, I think one of the things is to be kind and be social,” he said. “And also, it’s probably a good thing to maybe go step into church, too.”

    Bob Gooby smiles after he was surprised with a 90th birthday party at the Sandpoint Senior Center on Tuesday.