Bob Harte, from the reality series The Alaskans, died on July 22, 2017, in Fairbanks, Alaska, after battling cancer. On The Alaskans this season, Harte’s wife and daughter pay tribute to him and remember the life he lived. His death left a mark on the series and the show was the first to announce his death on Facebook, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce Bob Harte has passed away. He was a beloved member of the Discovery family, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
Harte actually grew up in New Jersey, where he first discovered his love for hunting, fishing and trapping. As the years went on, he decided to take his love of trapping to Alaska, where he established a life on his own, according to E-Celeb Gossip. Eventually, he built a family and brought them along for the ride, as his obituary stated, “His best trapline memories revolved around the times when his family joined him. The family included his daughter, Talicia; stepson, Traver; foster son, Steve; wife, Nancy; and their dog team … In Bob’s words, he was an “excellent trapper, hunter, fisherman, outdoorsman, carpenter and log builder.” The outdoors and his family were Harte’s true loves in life. His obituary revealed that, “He loved his family deeply, particularly his daughter, Talicia. His dream was to finish building her home so that she and her 8-month-old daughter, Carmella, could live comfortably.”
On July 21, 2017, Harte had his own celebration of life, where he sat around with his loved ones and longtime friends, shared beers and stories. Showbiz Post reported that Harte’s daughter, granddaughter, and now ex-wife, Nancy, were with him for the celebration. Harte died the next day. E-Celeb Gossip reported that Harte passed away in his sleep.
Harte’s obituary said that his family always joked Harte had many lives, as he had previously had many brushes with death. The obituary stated, “His family and friends always joked that Bob had nine lives. If you stopped to count, it was probably closer to 20. After wrecking his motorcycle, crashing his plane, accidentally shooting himself, falling off his cabin wall, swamping his boat in the ocean, crashing another plane, getting run over on his motorcycle, having brain surgery, crashing another plane (I could go on), God chose a peaceful passage for him. It is ironically fitting.”
After Harte was diagnosed with cancer, he left The Alaskans show in 2016 to undergo treatment. Harte started to recover and reappeared on the show in 2017, but, unfortunately, he ended up losing his battle with cancer that same year.
Ahead of season 4 of The Alaskans, the Discovery network released a statement about how the show would be featuring Harte’s cancer journey and his passing. According to Monsters and Critics, the statement reads, “No one knows the refuge like Bob Harte. After 40 years in the Alaskan Wilderness, he calls it his country, but due to the return of his cancer, Bob must move away from the refuge and into town with his daughter and granddaughter. This season, we will follow Bob’s hard-fought battle to the end and get the chance to say goodbye. Bob’s journey in the refuge allowed him to live free – this was his home and where his heart will always be.”