Robert Reed McEwan

Robert “Bob” Reed McEwan passed away peacefully on June 4, 2025, in Seaside, Oregon, at the age of 102.

Born on November 12, 1922, in Portland, Oregon, Bob was the beloved son of Jeanette Mathilda Brandberg McEwan and Robert Lawrence McEwan. He was raised in Portland alongside his sister, Patricia McEwan Wilson, by their devoted mother and grandmother, Josephine Reed Brandberg. Bob attended Benson Polytechnic High School and, after graduation, worked briefly as a ranch hand in Wyoming, where he developed his lifelong passion for horses. Soon after, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines during World War II, delivering troops, supplies, and equipment to Allied forces in the Pacific.

Following the war, Bob settled in Gearhart. It was during his time as a milkman that he met his wife, Patricia “Pat” Mina Dukek McEwan. Together, they raised two children, Michael and Mary Jean. The McEwan family were longtime members of the Northwest Shetland Pony Club, spending many weekends at pony shows across the Pacific Northwest.

Bob was also a lifelong member of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church in Warrenton—a church his McEwan ancestors helped found in the 1840s. Originally from Nova Scotia, Bob’s forebears were among the early settlers of Oregon, holding donation land claims in both Clatsop and Benton counties. Today, the Pioneer Presbyterian Church stands as the oldest continuously operating Presbyterian Church west of the Rocky Mountains.

In 1956, with a single backhoe, Bob and Pat founded Bob McEwan Construction. Over the decades, the business grew to become a respected provider of excavation and grading services across southern Clatsop County. The business remains in the family today, owned and operated by their son and daughter-in-law.

In his later years, Bob became a beloved character in Gearhart, where he lived in the same house that had once belonged to his grandmother. Locals often spotted him on Sundays, making his rounds in a cart pulled by his faithful donkey, Pancho. The pair were also a regular feature in the town’s Fourth of July parades.

Bob will be deeply missed by his family. He is survived by his two children, Mike McEwan and Mary Jean Wilson; seven grandchildren; and twelve great-grandchildren.

A celebration of lives will be held to honor both Bob and Pat from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the American Legion on Broadway in Seaside. The family encourages attendees to bring their favorite cookie or side dish.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Bob’s honor to the American Legion.