Bob Jepson

Richfield, Utah - On February 16, 2021, our beloved father, grandpa, and friend departed from this earth after a long battle with cancer. Robert “Bob” Kelly Jepson was born July 1, 1943 in Cedar City, Utah to Woodrow and Louise Jepson and died peacefully in his home in Richfield, Utah. He was raised in Hurricane, Utah on a farm. His life on horses began at 18 months old when his dad strapped him to a horse pulling a plow because his mother needed to care for older siblings with special needs. He grew up in overalls, waking up at the crack of dawn to do chores with chickens, pigs, cows, horses and acres of farming and repeat when he came home from school. Farm work made him strong and he was athletic so coaches convinced his parents to let him play football and basketball in high school. He was loved by his classmates and held many leadership positions. After graduation, he attended Dixie College and Southern Utah University. Bob was drafted into the Army in the Medical Corps during the Vietnam War. He was injured and his rehabilitation sparked an interest in a career in Physical Therapy. While stationed in San Francisco he met the love of his life, Jeane. Bob married Jeane Jacobsen in April 1969 in the St. George Temple. After his discharge from the Army, they lived in Phoenix where Bob worked construction to save money for school. In 1971, they moved to Salt Lake City so he could attend Physical Therapy School. After graduation from the University of Utah in 1973, they moved to Richfield to open his Physical Therapy Practice because he wanted to bring more healthcare to rural communities. He loved his profession but also became involved in community service where he donated his time, talents and financial resources. Bob received numerous awards for his public service, He attended thousands of high school games to take care of the injured free of charge. He was the President of the Independence Day Committee for years and made Richfield a great place to celebrate. He began the first prenatal classes for the hospital. One of the most cherished services he offered was the role of Santa. He began a week before Christmas showing up at homes and parties to listen to wishes and hand out gifts. He also served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in numerous callings including Bishop, High Council, Manti Temple Ordinance Worker and two missions—one as a 19 year old young man and another with his wife after retirement—both to Sweden. Bob enjoyed his work, but also loved his hobbies. The minute the office closed, he wanted to be out fishing with his buddies, working in his garden, down on the dry farm planting, driving mountains spotting deer or just sitting in the sunshine watching birds. He also couldn’t turn down the opportunity to watch sports—any sport. He particularly found great joy watching his kids do dance and sports, and then in retirement years, his grandkids doing the same. His other hobbies were country dancing, preserving food, writing poetry, telling stories and making friends. He truly was a friend to everyone and never met a stranger. His greatest love was his family. He worked extra jobs to ensure his three children had every opportunity to travel, receive lessons, participate in school activities, finish college, have homes, etc—he made sure he could provide necessities and a lot of fun, too. Bob is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Louise (Robb) Franks and Amy Jo (Dustin) Thompson, and son, Justin Kelly (Jamie) Jepson and 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeane and his parents and three brothers. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 27, 2021 at 12 Noon in the Richfield Utah East LDS Stake Center, 805 North 500 East. Live streaming of the services will be available at: www.springerturner.com under Bob’s obituary. Friends may call for viewing at the Springer Turner Funeral Home in Richfield, Friday evening from 6 to 8 P.M. or at the Stake Center Saturday morning from 10:30 to 11:30 prior to the services. Due to COVID-19 mandates, all attendees must wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Burial with military honors accorded by the V.F.W. Sevier Post #5050 and the Utah Honor Guard will be in the Richfield City Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.