Robert "Bob" John Dillon

Robert “Bob” Dillon, of Anoka, MN, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at the age of 89.  He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Bob was born on May 1st, 1934, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He worked as a dry cleaner at Anoka Cleaners.  When new equipment took his job, he moved on to Shapiro Brothers Cleaners in Minneapolis, then he sold real estate for a time.  In 1979, he began working as a dry cleaning service technician, which he continued until his retirement.  He also had a part time business selling snowmobile parts in the 1970’s.  Throughout his career, he was known for his hard work, his loyalty to his family, his generosity, and his no-nonsense attitude.  He was always eager to impart his wisdom to others and share his knowledge.

In his free time, Bob enjoyed watching football or helping his son, Brad.  His real passion, however, was tractor pulling.  Bob won numerous trophies with his specially designed pulling tractor, a Farmall 1206, and one of his favorite hobbies was maintaining and improving his tractor during the off season.  In his latter years, he often had the distinction of being the oldest tractor puller in the competition, and he earned this title with his stubbornness, force of will, and determination.  He pulled for at least thirty years, and continued to pull until the fall of 2021, at the age of 87.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Luverne; siblings Donna, David, and Richard; sister-in-law Shirley; and brothers-in-law Kenneth Hanson, Robert Hansen, and Milton Lien.

Bob is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Ellen (Hunter) Dillon; his sons Bradley (Joyce) Dillon and Scott (Kara) Dillon; beloved grandchildren Marie, Sarah, Ashley, Max, Emily, and Paige; and siblings Beverly Lien, Donald (Marsha) Dillon, and Barbara (Russell) Wicktor.  His memory and his legacy will be cherished by all who knew him.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 14th at Dare’s Funeral Home, with visitation starting at 9 a.m.  A private interment will follow at Oak View Cemetery in Saint Francis, MN.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association.

The service will be livestreamed. On the day of the service, please click the blue button below the service information that says click here to view video. The Passcode is 623884. 

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