Robert Roy (Bobby) Gullickson died on September 1, 2017, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.
Robert Roy was born in Flandreau on November 6, 1958, to Bob and Faye (Sayles) Gullickson.
Bobby joined a family of five brothers and sisters, dozens of aunts and uncles and 65 first cousins—most of whom lived in Moody County.
The value of that large and loving family became clear in the summer of 1966 when a farm accident resulted in the devastating brain injury that changed his life.
After recovering for several months at Sioux Valley Hospital, he received rehabilitation at Crippled Children’s Hospital and School. Eventually he came home to live with his parents in Egan.
After his parents died, he lived with his brother Brad’s family in Brandon until health complications necessitated a move to a group home in Sioux Falls.
Though health issues were a constant in his life, Bobby worked as a janitor at Egan School for many years and was proud to be a part of the community. We are enormously grateful for the acceptance and attention he found there.
He loved “The Dukes of Hazzard,” Mountain Dew, Harley Davidsons, his nieces and nephews (they adored him back) and driving his four-wheeler around town. (Another testament to small-town living: he was an unlicensed driver in an unlicensed vehicle but nobody EVER stopped him.)
Bobby was remarkably undemanding, but he thrived on the attention he received from his extended family and members of the community.
Bobby is survived by his three sisters: JoEllen (Manny) Jason of Marstons Mill, Mass., Julie (Bob) Connors of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Kristi (Craig) Tamash of Osterville, Mass.; two brothers: Marc (Cathy) Gullickson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Brad (Colleen) Gullickson of Brandon; four aunts: Blanche (Sayles) Kansanback and Beverly (Sayles) Nace of Colman, Doris (Gullickson) Southard of California and Elaine Sayles of Texas and 22 nephews and nieces.
His funeral service was held September 8, 2017, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Flandreau, with burial in Midway Cemetery, rural Colman.
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