A Celebration of the Life of Bob Nowell

January 13, 1926 - October 5, 2026

Robert Hughes Nowell

Bob Nowell, much loved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully October 5, 2026 at the age of 100.  Born January 13, 1926, in Salt Lake City, UT.  Son of Ruby Hughes and Robert B. Nowell (Froggie).  Attended Granite High School and the University of Utah.  Honorably served in the US Navy during WWII.

Upon returning from service Bob married the love of his life, Lucille Nate, January 22, 1949. They spent 77+ happy, active years together, building a beautiful home in Holladay, raising 4 children and traveling the world together. Bob was a developer and home builder by trade and a previous member of the Utah Home Builders Association, the Aviation Club, Fort Douglas and Bloomington Country Clubs. 

As a longtime member of the Cottonwood Country Club, Bob played golf and tennis into his 90’s.  He had 9 holes-in-one throughout the years, and we still have the balls from each occasion.  Golfing with his buddy Ted Jordan, they took 1st Place, one final time, in the Cottonwood Country Club’s 2018 Director’s Cup.  Bob and Ted were legendary golf partners, winning many, many tournaments over the years and were considered true gentlemen of the game.  We would like to thank Ted and Paul, who have stayed in touch with Dad during the past few years.  It meant a great deal to him.

Gramps loved a good joke, always nailing the punch line even in his later years.  And he loved sharing memories.  Some of our favorites are of time spent at Holiday Park on the Weber River.  Dad and Grandpa Frog built our family cabin there in 1953, where he patiently spent endless hours baiting fishhooks at Yellow Lake, blowing up inner tubes to float the river, hiking and ensuring we all had a great time.  We will always cherish the gift of this very special place.

Many summers, Dad and Mom would load all the kids into the station wagon at 3:00amdriving to Southern California for fun filled vacations on the beach with friends and extended family.  We will always remember times spent playing in the ocean and running around Disneyland with our favorite, Top Drawer relatives, the Walkers.  Thank you for your weekly calls to our parents.  It helped them stay connected.

In addition to memorable family trips, Dad made sure we had what we needed.  From coaching little league baseball for an undefeated winning season, to go-carts at the lumber yard (shhh… don’t tell Mom), to sleigh rides and ice skating, to teaching us all to ski.  He was a beautiful skier in his younger years, skiing with some of the best in the area and serving on the Solitude Ski Patrol for a time.

Bob was a doting husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and in the truest sense, he was a gentleman.  He touched our lives with love, humor and kindness.  He will be missed beyond measure.  The greatest gift we ever had… It came from God… We called him Dad.

Survived by his loving wife, Lu Nowell.  Children: Nancy, Paula, Rob (DeeAnn), Stacy (Dan).  Grandchildren: Nicole (Steve), Michael, Anne (Joe), Ryan (Shay), Kate (Bennett).  Great-grandchildren: Tavish (Chase), Kylie, Keegan, Ashton, Hunter, Presley, Dixon, Stetson. 

We give special thanks to our sister Nancy, who has gone above and beyond spearheading the care of our parents for the past several years.

Services are pending for Spring/Summer 2027.  To honor this incredible man and a life well lived, we ask that you raise your glass, preferably with bourbon and coke, for News & Booze at 5pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Moran Eye Center – The Alan S. Crandall Center for Glaucoma Innovation.  Glaucoma robbed Dad of his vision the past few years and he felt there was not enough research into this terrible disease.