Robert Paul Smith, 93 of Evergreen, Colorado went home to be with Jesus on March 27, 2021. Bob was born on December 24, 1927, in Fort Madison, Iowa and played along the banks of the Mississippi River as a young boy. Both of his parents died when Bob was 12. Relatives from Ada, Minnesota came to pick up the siblings, Bert, Mabel & Bob, in their wide flat-bed pick-up truck. With furniture piled high on the truck and Mabel in the cab, Bob & Bert rode on top of the load all the way from their home in Iowa to northwestern Minnesota and the farming community of Ada.
After serving in the Army in the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper, Bob returned to Ada. Bob did odd jobs including painting the very steep steeple of a church. Slipping on wet paint, Bob fell 25 feet off the roof, landed on his back and was hospitalized for 8 weeks. As fate would have it, the nurse that took care of him was Ardella Fetting, who would soon become the one and only love of his life for 63 years.
The young couple moved to Chicago and were married in 1950. Bob pursued a career in electronics and television. In 1952 television had just come to Denver. Bob and Ardella decided to move west, loved the mountains, wanted to ski and ended up settling in Evergreen. After years of working in the television industry, doing everything from studio camera work to filming live broadcasts from atop Shipwreck Rock at Red Rocks, Bob moved to the aerospace industry and the Titan missile program. Working for Martin Marietta, Bob was responsible for the Titan missile self-destruct relays. Launch day was very tense around the house. The missiles were not very reliable in those days and if the launch did not go as planned you just might be out of a job the next day. In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson stopped funding for the aerospace industry and Martin Marietta became a ghost town.
The entire family were avid skiers. In those days ski equipment was terrible, and the slopes were a landmine of fallen trees, stumps, rocks and ditches. Falling was a very frequent event that happened multiple times each run. Goggle and eyeglasses fogging was a real and constant problem. While watching a ski movie with a Martin buddy, Bob said “Someone should invent a goggle that does not fog!” His buddy said “Yes, why don’t you?” With those words, Super Seer was born in 1967.
Bob, the engineer, remembered those cold below zero winter days in Minnesota and the double pane windows on the houses that kept out the cold. They didn’t fog! Bob used the concept to design, build, and patent the ski industry’s first double lens goggle. Several business acquisitions and over 50 years later, Super Seer has become the major legacy supplier for domestic and international Law Enforcement customers.
Bob just recently retired at 92 years young. He loved his customers and loved to travel. Dining out was a favorite pastime. Within the Law Enforcement community, Super Seer was invited to participate in Police Motorcycle training events. He became fondly known by all as “Mr. Bob”. Mr. Bob was honored with the industry’s first Harley-Davidson gas tank and motorcycle fairing signed personally by Police Motor Officers from across the country as a tribute to his support and involvement with Motor Officers. Currently, Super Seer is still a family business with the second and third generation at the helm.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Ardella, his brother Bert Smith, and sister Mabel Hagen. He is survived by his daughter, Cindy Smith (Tim Sell), and his son, Steve Smith (Joan). He has five grandchildren Kevin Smith (Stacy), Crystal Dulger-Sheiken, (Nick), Kendra Stooke (Jake), Sara Smith Sell, Sean Smith- Sell. He has eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Olinger Crown Hill at the Pavilion of Reflection on April 12, 2021 at 1:30 p.m.
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