Robert Derr Englund passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, August 28, 2026, with his beloved wife and eternal companion, Barbara, at his side.

Bob was born in his maternal grandparents’ home in Teton, Idaho, on October 22, 1947, to Robert John and Mary Arlene (Derr) Englund. He grew up in Idaho Falls, where he attended local schools and graduated from Idaho Falls High School in 1965. Ever proud of his Idaho heritage, Bob loved the high desert landscape of southeastern Idaho and cherished his childhood memories of fishing along the Snake River and camping among the lodgepole pines in Island Park and Yellowstone. While he never resided in Idaho as an adult, Bob prioritized visits to his childhood home and rarely let a year slip by without a pilgrimage to Island Park. Sheep Falls on Henry’s Fork of the Snake River was his happy place, though he insisted it would always be the “North Fork” to him.

Always curious, Bob developed a lifelong love of learning at an early age. As family lore has it, he spontaneously taught himself to read before kindergarten and devoured the entire Encyclopedia Americana by the time he skipped the second grade. Origin stories aside, Bob had an unquestionably prodigious memory, and his mastery of all manner of facts both great and trivial persisted throughout his life. A gifted and devoted musician, Bob also cultivated a deep and abiding connection to music in his early years, taking up the cello at age nine. He loved playing chamber music, especially with his equally precocious siblings: his older sister, Mary Anne, on violin and his younger brother, John, on viola.

Bob attended Brigham Young University before moving to Salt Lake City, where he met Barbara Dawn Cox. Their first date included a lengthy wait in line for ice cream at Snelgrove’s in Sugar House. His life would never be the same—and the pair were rarely caught waiting in line again. The two were married and sealed for time and all eternity in the St. George Temple on January 6, 1973. She brought out the best in him, and Bob always said that Barbara was the greatest thing that ever happened to him.

After they started their family, Bob returned to BYU to earn an MBA and embark on a career in management consulting. Although he switched his collegiate studies from music to finance, Bob never lost his love for the cello. He particularly enjoyed playing the works of the great composers as principal cellist with the Utah Valley Symphony, Salt Lake Symphony, and America West Symphony, as well as performing Handel’s Messiah during the Christmas season.

Throughout his life, Bob underwent numerous surgeries for heart complications stemming from childhood endocarditis, and his family is deeply grateful to the medical professionals whose skill and care prolonged his life for many years. Though Bob’s heart required extraordinary care, it was remarkably strong in all the ways that mattered most.

Bob was a playful and conscientious father who instilled in his children his passion for learning, the outdoors, music, sports, hard work, and service. His enthusiasm for the things he loved was irrepressible, and his children fondly remember him exclaiming, “Ah, just listen to that!” as he cranked up the volume for a great riff from a classic rock song or a favorite symphonic passage; “Oh, did you see that dunk?” while cheering for his Utah Jazz or BYU Cougars; and “You are going to love your birthday gift!” as he tried in vain not to give away the surprise. His children also remember his habit of repeating some favorite German expression that none of them could confirm was correct (though it likely was), his ritual of starting every road trip by declaring, “We’re off like a herd of turtles,” and his boyish smile as he ceremonially opened his secret stash of chocolate to share. Yet the most enduring phrase his children will remember is “I just love this family.” It was rare for any communication with his wife or children to end with anything other than “I Love You.”

A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bob was a devoted disciple and student of the scriptures. He served faithfully in many callings but treasured most his time as a Shift Coordinator and Trainer in the Jordan River and Draper Temples. His personal attachment to the temple was profound, and his selfless service in the house of the Lord brought him far greater joy than any of his intellectual pursuits or professional achievements. Serving in the temple, keeping his covenants, and loving his family were Bob’s life’s work.

Bob is survived by his eternal companion, Barbara; his children, Alyssa Englund, Nick (Miriam Cordova) Englund, Erin (Jaymon) Swanson, and Jason (Nadia Bikhazi) Englund; his sister, Mary Anne Foley; and his eleven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, John Englund; his parents-in-law, Norman and Mary Dawn Cox; and his brothers-in-law, Bill Foley and Kenny Kindle.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the St. George 10th Ward Chapel, 591 West 500 North, St. George, UT 84770. A viewing will be held at the chapel on Friday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Tonaquint Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, (435) 673-2454. Friends and family are invited to sign the online guestbook at www.spilsburymortuary.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages Bob’s friends and loved ones to support their local community orchestras in his honor and to attend a live performance of one of the great symphonic works of Beethoven, Shostakovich, Dvořák, Mahler, or any of the other master composers he loved. Bob would want nothing more.