A Grand Sendoff for an Ex Fireman

Robert Lee Pauley, Oct. 21 1949 to Sept. 11 2005

Portrait of Bob

Bob Pauley


The funeral with the pine casket in the foreground and many fire trucks parked behind. Firemen in yellow uniform standing by in formation.

Bob's pine casket

Lookout California, September 17 2005
Copyright 2005 BigValleyNews.net

The caravan started in Bieber, about 5 miles away from Lookout.  The procession with the hearse carrying Robert Lee Pauley to the graveside services proceeded down highway 299 turning at Lookout Rd. at 30 miles per hour, finally to arrive at Lookout cemetery.

When a fireman passes away, it is traditional for departments nearby to send engines and personnel to the services.  Robert was well respected in this area and many departments payed their last respects.

Lookout VFD (Volunteer Fire dept.,) Canby Fire, Modoc Medical Center Life Support, Big Valley Life Support, Alturas Rural Fire, Fall River Mills Fire, California Pines Fire, U.S. Dept of Forestry, Adin Fire, California Division of Forestry (CDF) and Bieber VFD as well as units from Lassen and Modoc Sheriff's Office had units participate in the services.  The helicopter from the local CDF station had a planned flyover but was not available due to a fire call.


Pastor Harry Morris from Bieber officiated the ceremony.

Because of his military service on board the U.S. submarine Baya, the Adin Veterans of Foreign Wars arranged for a 21 gun salute during the ceremony.


Adin VFW in uniform, one in a wheelchair with rifles.

Adin VFW and the salute.


Robert was well known and respected in the Big Valley area.  He served in the Lookout Fire Department for over 20 years and was chief until his retirement last month.  Bob was also manager of the Big Valley electric co-generation plant.  Bob's  love was his community and he often expressed his desire to successfully bring back the operation of the electricity generating plant in Bieber for the purpose of hiring as many local people who had lost their jobs when the lumber mill and power plant went out of business a few years back.  He successfully did so, bringing back the power plant to operation through a series of setbacks including the disastrous fire at the plant on April 7, 2005.

Fire personnel showed their last respects with a walk by the grave in uniform concluded by a lowering of the casket with a brand new fire hose from the Lookout Fire Department which was buried along with the casket.

Adin fire in uniform parade past the grave.

Adin Fire Dept. walks past the grave.

Looking into the grave with a fire hose laid on top of the casket.

Bob's casket with the hose used to lower it into the grave.


The ceremony was followed by a potluck dinner sponsored by the Lookout Ladies Auxiliary at Lookout Fire Hall which was attended by about 100 people.

About 100 folks seated for a dinner inside the Lookout Fire Hall.


Bob moved to Lookout in 1976 and was lead man at Big Valley Power Station in Bieber and was the former chief and now member of Lookout Fire Dept.

Bob is survived by his son Aaron Pauley of Perth, Australia, daughter Amy Allison from Arizona, companion Laurie LaHue, twin sister Barbara Taylor-Bates from Redding, sisters Carla Duffy from Whitmore and Linda Deacon from Martinez CA as well as four grandchildren, three nephews, two nieces and three great nephews.

The family requests that any memorial contributions be made in Bob's name to the Lookout Volunteer Fire Dept. P.O. Box 135, Lookout CA 96054.

Links to previous related stories:

The accident report , CLICK HERE!

The funeral announcement, CLICK HERE!