Robert Ellery Alvord, Jr., 87, of Ash Grove, died Saturday January 14. He was born February 20, 1935, in Los Angeles, California, to Robert Ellery and Virginia (Reed) Alvord. He married Elizabeth Borchelt August 10, 1987.

Bob graduated from El Monte High School in El Monte, Calif., and earned a vocational teaching certificate from The College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 32 years as a firefighter and in many positions including superintendent of the Texas Canyon Hot Shots, and became a Type I incident commander. He retired at the age of 50 as Deputy Forest Fire Management Officer on the Los Padres National Forest. His second career, which lasted another 20 years, was teaching the Incident Command System, which he had helped develop, for the Missouri Department of Conservation, FEMA, various groups involved in urban search and rescue, Emergency Management Services International, and for independent contractors working in Japan and Turkey. He retired for the second time in 2007.

Bob loved sailing on the west coast and in the Sea of Cortez and traveling in Mexico. He loved dogs, and enjoyed hiking, reading and cooking. He made a friend of everyone he met.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Liz Alvord; children, Scott Alvord and his wife Tania; Karen Alvord; Keith Alvord and his wife Lisa; and Kaye Atkins; 10 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.