Robert 'Bob or Bobby' Bruce Clyde, 83

Robert "Bob or Bobby" Bruce Clyde, 83, passed away at home surrounded by his loving family early in the morning of Oct. 5, 2026, as a result of brain and lung cancer. 

Bob was born on Oct. 2,1943 at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, a "preemie" born two months before his due date. A fighter. His mother was Fannie Mae (Erb) Clyde, originally from Stevensville, and his father was John Harvey Clyde, originally from Havre. Bob joined an older sister, Betty Dawn, at the family home in Seeley Lake. A brother, Theodore Erb, and a sister, Mary LaVina, were subsequently born. The family moved around Western Montana before settling in St. Regis, where Bob essentially spent the rest of his life, except for his time in the service in the United States Army where he was stationed in Germany in the '60's. 

As many Baby Boomers did, he found his first job as a box boy in the local grocery store and paper boy delivering newspapers from his bike. He began his career in the forest industry by working on the "green chain" at the Bennett Mill, which was a block from the house where he lived, now the park and ballfield. He later worked in the woods and drove a logging truck. He shoveled ore in the Nancy Lee mill when it was operating in the 1970's. He was one of many in St. Regis who helped to construct Interstate 90; his job was drilling and blasting. 

He graduated from the University of Montana in 1970, with a degree in business and finance, paid by his summer jobs and the GI Bill. 

In October of 1970 he married Nicola (Nicki) Jane Ziegele from Post Falls, Idaho, at her parents' home on the mountain south of the town, overlooking the valley. They raised two sons, Matthew Charles and Theodore Joseph, in St. Regis. A lot of time was spent on highways and bleachers in those years as they watched the boys play baseball, basketball, football and track, along with attending scouting and school events. Bob liked to camp, hunt and fish with the boys. In 1983, Bob began working for the Montana State Department of Revenue as the appraiser for tax purposes in Mineral County. In 1991 he and a partner began Premiere Outdoor Advertising, eventually placing 85 billboards in Mineral, Lake and Missoula Counties as well as a few in Idaho. In 1995 he was honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Mullan Trail Bank, which is now Trail West Bank. 

Bob was always a hard worker and wonderful provider, and it is safe to say he never really retired. Whether gallons and gallons of huckleberries or other fruit, or pounds and pounds of elk, deer or salmon, or tomatoes from his greenhouse, the freezer always was stocked. He restored two antique tractors, a 1952 Massey-Harris Mustang and Nicki's dad's 1939 Ford 9N. He drove the Massey-Harris in many parades with "The Tractor Guys" of St. Regis, several of whom are also members of "The Coffee Guys" whom Bob met with most mornings for at least 30 years. Bob and Nicki were active in Mountain Bluebird Trails, a statewide organization that supports bluebird conservation efforts. They maintained a trail along Highway 135, building, placing and cleaning nest boxes and counting eggs and fledglings. 

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and his brothers-in-law, Chris Ziegele and Richard Norlander. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nicki, at their home in St.Regis; their son, Matthew, and his wife, Lori, of Belgrade, Montana, and their children, Savana Mae, Katie Jo, Braden Robert, Dustin Matthew, and Alexis Nicole; their son Ted of Kalispell; two sisters, Betty of Hayden, Idaho, and Mary of Soldotna, Alaska, and treasured niece and nephews and their children. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. at the St.Regis Community Center.