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ANACORTES, WA – Robert (Bob) Snell, 89, of 5889 South Shore Rd, Anacortes, WA ( Guemes Island), passed away on September 5, 2026 after a prolonged illness. Bob was born in Hancock, Michigan and received his BS in mathematics from Northern Michigan University, MS in mathematics from the University of Michigan, and his PhD in mathematics from the University of Colorado in 1968.
Bob had 2 careers- first as a professor of mathematics for 20 years, and second as a commercial fisherman for 40 plus years. While a mathematics professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, he and his wife, Connie, built their first home on Fox Island. During that time, he taught math at Tampere Technical University in Finland on an exchange professorship.
After 20 years of teaching, Bob was ready for a major life change. He had already been commercial salmon fishing during the summer and their children, Jennie and Dan were grown. During the search for property, he and Connie fell in love with Guemes Island 34 years ago, and set about building another home- a decision to live on this beautiful Puget Sound Island neither ever regretted.
Bob loved math but eventually viewed teaching it as a job; however, fishing was a passion that never released its grip. It was Bob's spirit of adventure and risk taking that led him to chase the elusive king salmon up and down the west coast from California to Alaska. A quest for knowledge also drove Bob.
He and Connie read books about science and nature to one another, including all of Carl Sagan. Small talk was not interesting to Bob; however, he would gladly converse about life's big issues. Life with Bob was feast or famine, due to the nature of commercial fishing, but he cared deeply about family and most of all what were the grandchildren doing.
He is survived by Connie, his wife of 61 years, children Jennie (Giorgio), Daniel, and grandchildren , Cole, Tyler, Danni, and Maya, plus sister Mary (Michael) Willis.
Bob lived by the ancient Finnish proverb, with sisu (extraordinary grit), you can go through gray granite. The family expects he is swimming with King Salmon.