Robert Curtis Gaffney

Robert Curtis "Bob" Gaffney, 88, of Yakima, passed away on March 6, 2026. Born in Yakima on August 24, 1937, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Bob arrived two days after his twin sister Judy in a surprise delivery performed by his father, Wayne Gaffney. He graduated from Yakima High School, earned an AAS degree from Yakima Valley Junior College in 1959, and served in the U.S. Army before transitioning to the National Guard. In 1961, he and Linda Sue Taylor eloped to Seattle. Together they raised three children.

Bob spent much of his life working in the family business, Gaffney's Auto Parts & Machine Shop, which his parents established in 1955. He worked alongside them for many years and became sole owner after his father's death in 1972 and his mother's in 1984, operating the business until his retirement. From an early age, he was drawn to the outdoors and to motion. He loved riding bikes and horses through the orchards of western Yakima, boating, water skiing, fishing, gardening, home projects, model trains, and wildlife. An active member of the Elks Club and Ducks Unlimited, he also maintained longtime membership in the machinists union and the Washington State Automotive Wholesalers Association.

In retirement, Bob remained steadily active. For nearly twenty years he walked Randall Park twice daily, greeting neighbors, sharing jokes, and making friends. A stray pup he named Hoover joined him on those walks and became a beloved companion. An avid bowler since his college days in 1956, he participated in leagues at Minda, Skookum, Eagles, and Nob Hill lanes, advancing from the motor league to mixed doubles and senior leagues, and traveling to Reno for national tournaments. When COVID ended his bowling, he turned to jigsaw puzzles, completing well over a thousand in six years, many of which he glued, framed, and proudly displayed.

Bob cherished his deep family roots in the Yakima Valley, which stretched back more than 160 years. He enjoyed sharing stories of his ancestors, including his great-great-grandfather John Wilson Beck, who planted the valley’s first orchard, and his great-grandmother Mary Beck, who journeyed west in a covered wagon. He is survived by his daughters Teresa and Drea Gaffney of Yakima, his twin sister Judy Birkholz of Cheney, Washington, and his younger brother David Gaffney of Issaquah, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Andrea (Curtis) Gaffney, his wife Linda (Taylor) Gaffney, his brother Wayne “Sonny” Gaffney Jr., and his son Robert Gaffney Jr.