Robert Joseph Grigsby

Robert Joseph Grigsby died on the 4th of July at home, surrounded by his loving family. Descended from Colorado pioneers, Bob was born October 15, 1925 in Denver to Joseph D. and Ernestine Block Grigsby. His great grandfather, Robert Hauck, came to Colorado in 1858 with the Wisconsin Gold Mining Company and was allowed by Chief Left Hand to settle on property by Boulder Creek. A portion of the original homestead is still farmed by Bob’s son, Guy Grigsby.

Bob lived in Pueblo, Colorado with his parents until they moved to Washington D.C. during the Great Depression. He spent the rest of his youth on a historic farm in Maryland, owned by his family.

A graduate of Bladensburg High School in Maryland, Bob received a deferment from the draft because he supplied eggs to local hospitals. However, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18 and served in the 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division in World War II. He was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and received the Presidential Unit Citation, awarded to a combat unit that exhibits extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a Combat Infantry Badge. He was in B Company, 222 Infantry Regiment that liberated Dachau. Many years later he was honored at a ceremony in Denver by the governor of Colorado, B’nai B’rith and the Anti-Defamation League as a liberator. He never wanted to return to Dachau for the anniversary ceremonies.

He attended the Universities of Maryland, Colorado and Denver, earning degrees in business and law.

Bob married Harriette Jane Kurtz on November 21st, 1950 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in College Park, Maryland. They made their home in Kentland, Maryland and he worked for his father at the Grigsby Company.

In 1954, the Grigsbys moved to Colorado where Bob managed an osteopathic hospital in Grand Junction. The family later moved to Arizona and he became a sales manager for Mountain States Telephone Company in Arizona, Utah and Colorado. In 1975, he established Grigsby Realty, Inc. in Longmont, Colorado, which he operated until his retirement in 1995.

Bob was active in several service clubs. In Lions, he held offices in Sunrise Lions including president, and helped start the Sunrise Stampede. As a Red Cross volunteer from 1981 to 1994, Bob served as Damage Assessment Chairman for Boulder County and volunteered on three national disasters: Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1990, the California earthquake in 1991, and northern California floods in 1992. He was a Red Cross blood donor for 50 years.

Bob was an old car buff and restored a 1936 Packard convertible with a rumble seat and won “First in Class” at the Packard International Convention in Pittsburg in 1986. He was a member of Packard International, the Packard Auto Club and Rock Mountain Packard, serving as treasurer from 1984 to 1994. He drove the Packard in many Boulder County fair parades, frequently driving the parade grand marshal or political candidates.

A continuous member of Barbershop since 1950, Bob sang in many choruses and quartets. He founded the College Park chapter in 1953. His first quartet won second place at the International Convention at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1951.

He was a founding member of the Purple Gang, who painted the infamous Cheaper Charlie’s shed in Longmont. The group was ultimately pardoned for this crime by the Longmont City Council.

He was a member of ATO college fraternity and a member of St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Harriette, and his children: Susan (Greg) White of Loveland, Colorado; Guy (Amy Fieling) of Erie, Colorado; Jay (Diane Crane) of Delray Beach, Florida, and Rosalind (James Riker) of Takoma Park, Maryland; his grandchildren: Rosalind (Chris) Ekx of Superior, Colorado; Julia (William) Bannon of Portland, Oregon; Whitney Grigsby of Boulder, Colorado; Jeff (Erika) White of Denver, Colorado; Guy J. Grigsby of Denver, Colorado; Jessie (Brett) Dee of Longmont, Colorado; Krysta (Shay) Trulove and Linsey (Alan) Short, of Carbondale, Colorado, and Robert, Daniel and William Riker, of Takoma Park, Maryland; six great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews, including Robert Sencenbaugh of Erie, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his sister, Jane (Pete) Sencenbaugh of Colorado Springs.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church at 1303 South Bross Lane in Longmont. Interment will be at the Ryssby Church Cemetery in Longmont.

Donations in Bob’s memory may be made to the Longs Peak Barbershop Chorus or to the OUR Center.