Noble bus driver loved nature, nicknames, 'his kids'

Bob Furber ... had a nickname for all his kids

LEBANON - Bob Furber raised his sons to have an appreciation of the outdoors, of wildlife, of nature.

He continued to exude that love and appreciation as a bus driver for SAD 60, occasionally stopping the bus for a moment so students could enjoy an early sunrise, or a herd of deer in a quiet meadow.

“He hunted,” said his youngest son, Rick Furber, “but I never saw him kill any animal. If there was another hunter in the area, he’d scare deer off so they wouldn’t get shot. He just liked to walk in the woods.”

Bob Furber, 68, died peacefully at his River Road home on Wednesday surrounded by family members after a couple of years of failing health.

He worked several jobs in his life, including as a mechanic and lumber yard worker, but he made his greatest mark on humanity as a full-time bus driver for Noble schools, busing Lebanon students from kindergarten to high school. Toward the end of his career he did a lot of transporting of special needs students.

Whether he was working with students young or old, his love of nature was a constant. But if nature was one of his first loves, making sure students had a positive experience and safe ride on his buses was also paramount.

“He would allow no bullying,” said his wife, Annie Furber. “He was tough on that, but the kids respected him.”

Sue Austin, an assistant superintendent at Noble who oversees many transportation issues, echoed those sentiments.

“Bob was a very caring and kind man,” she said on Friday. “He was always interested in the children, and it was his goal to make their ride into school positive.”

In Bob Furber’s more than 20 years with the district, he had another endearing quirk. Soon after first meeting students along his route, he’d pick a nickname for them and use it exclusively.

“He might just call a girl, ‘Daisy,’” Annie Furber said on Friday. “I’d talk to parents and they’d say, ‘My daughter’s on his bus’ and they’d say her name, but I wouldn’t have heard it, because he never called them that at home. He’d call them by their nickname.”

He even used nicknames on his sons. “Mine was monkey wrench,” said his son Mike Furber, “because I spent a lot of time in the garage.”

Sara Thorp, who’s now a senior at Noble High School and had him for a bus driver several years back in elementary school, couldn’t remember her nickname, but she did remember what a nice experience his bus rides were.

“He was always nice, he’d stop to let us see the deer,” she said. “He really had a good attitude and I always liked my bus rides.”

Bob Furber took ill in 2012 and had to quit driving. He was hoping he would be able to return, but a year later realized his declining health would prevent it.

“When he found out he couldn’t return to driving, he cried,” Annie Furber said. “He’d hear the bus go by and he’d say, ‘I miss my kids.’”

Family and friends are welcome to a Memorial Service of his life on Saturday, March 15, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Nute Ridge Bible Chapel, 100 Nutes Road in Milton, N.H.