Robert Dennis Maxwell Jr.
Apr 9, 1957 -
Mar 1, 2026
With a heart that was steadfast, generous and central to so many lives, Bob Maxwell spent a lifetime giving deeply to others. On March 1, 2026, that same great heart came to rest.
Bob was born at Ladd Air Force Base outside Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1957 to Bob and Lee Maxwell. The family called him "Bobby" to distinguish him from his father. His father made a career in the military, and his mother was a Texas farm girl, so there were always horses in their lives. The family moved frequently from one military base to another, but they always lived off base on horse properties. It was there that Bob first learned his construction skills, helping build barns for the family's horses.
Bob attended 12 schools in 12 years before graduating from Platteview High School in Springfield, Neb., in 1975. After graduation, he moved to Omaha, Neb., for a year, earning $1.90 an hour at Pizza Hut, before continuing on to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1976.
In Fairbanks, he attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks for two semesters before being drawn into the construction industry. He worked a variety of jobs in the area, cooking in the winters and working construction in the summers, including putting down pits for gold processing at the Fort Knox Gold Mine.
Like much of his life, Bob wore many hats, working in gas stations and convenience stores while developing a deep appreciation for the rivers around Fairbanks. He made many trips down the Chena, Chatanika and Tanana rivers, and eventually the Gulkana River.
Bob met Marcia in 2000 in a ceramics class at UAA. They got married at Canyon Rapids on the Gulkana River, which Bob called his little slice of Heaven.
Bob had a soft spot for Marcia's menagerie of pets because he knew how important they were to her. He always said he never had any pets of his own, but several of the menagerie claimed him as theirs.
Everyone who knew Bob knew he could be competitive, whether it was sports, design build competitions or outhouse races. He devoted himself to 20 years as director of the Fur Rondy Outhouse Races in Anchorage, Alaska, and said he built easily 30 outhouses. Bob loved softball, flag football and basketball.
Bob will always be remembered for his mentor's heart. He lead by example and had a seemingly magical way of drawing out the best from everyone around him without them even realizing it. He had many "Bob-isms." We'll always imagine hearing him saying "We do it nice, 'cause we do it twice" one more time.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Lee Maxwell; and uncle, Joe Tremerillo. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; sons, Dean and Robert; daughters, Wendy, Stormey and Robi; grandchildren, Kaylee, Neveah, Isaac, Andrew, Ashlyn, Alsta, Killian, Shylah, Tyler, Sunday, Aryas and Lochlan; great-grandson, Porter; Aunt Ann; sisters, Ann, Patricia and Mary; and cousin, Richard.
On Feb. 21, 2026, Bob shared memories and farewells while surrounded by friends and family in Anchorage.
In lieu of flowers please consider a live, cat-friendly, plant. Deliveries can be directed to the Security Office at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 621 West 6th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501. The Security Office is located on 5th Avenue at G Street.
