Robert Ralph Willhour

Robert Ralph Willhour (Bob) passed away on November 27, 2023 surrounded by his family, just weeks shy of his 92nd birthday. He was born on December 19, 1931 to Ralph Moss Willhour and Alla Ruth Willhour (Wynn) and grew up in Tulsa, OK. In 1949, he graduated from Will Rogers High School which was fitting as Bob exemplified Roger’s famous quote, “I never met a man I didn’t like”. A proud Eagle Scout, Bob first learned about geology from his scoutmaster and earned a Bachelor’s in Geology at University of Tulsa in 1954. After college, he became a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, serving from 1954-1956. Soon after, he met the love of his life, Jane Holmes (Willhour) at CU Boulder where Bob earned his Master’s and Jane her Bachelor’s in Geology. Bob worked in oil and gas exploration all over the world, often traveling to “sit on a well” as he called it. Bob wrote, “Despite its bad image, I feel that our drilling for oil and gas provided an invaluable resource in allowing us to continue to drive our cars and heat our homes”. Bob briefly lived and worked in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas before the family settled in Littleton and became members of South Suburban Christian Church. Enjoying the outdoors was always a big part of Bob and Jane’s life. Some of Bob’s favorite memories include hunting, road trips, and visiting family in Oklahoma. After retirement, Bob and Jane moved to Fort Collins in 2001 to be closer to their grandchildren. A proud member of the Disciples of Christ denomination his entire life, Bob was active with Heart of the Rockies Christian Church. He made countless friends through the Men’s Prayer Breakfast, JustFaith class, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Faith Family Hospitality, as well as many annual trips to the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, NM working with the local people on home renovation projects. Bob always enjoyed volunteering as a way of living out his faith. He built a house in Jordan with Habitat and worked on a system to supply water to an isolated Peruvian village with Engineers without Borders. When recently encouraged by his daughter to begin receiving Meals on Wheels, Bob commented that he’d still prefer to be the one delivering the meals. He was active with local Interfaith efforts and hosted numerous CSU international students, always focusing on the similarities across cultures and religions, rather than differences. Bob and Jane enjoyed 64 years of devoted companionship, often traveling and exploring the outdoors together. Highlights include hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp, trips to Guatemala, Japan, Patagonia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Brazilian Amazon, as well as a life-changing pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine. When asked, “What do you remember most about your travels?” Bob replied “Wherever you go, you quickly realize that the people are just like us”. Bob was always learning about something new through checking books out of the library, reading the Wall Street Journal, and watching the news daily. His curiosity inspired others to keep learning too. He enjoyed archaeology, Native American art, and learning languages. Even in his last days he was looking up the translation of words and dreaming in Spanish. Bob was soft spoken, generous and valued a simple life. If something could be fixed rather than replaced, he was on it. Always working on a project is what kept him young into his 90s. He could often be found fixing the deck, woodworking, doing genealogy research, working on a puzzle, or driving his John Deere tractor. In his last few months he used the tractor as his mode of transportation to pick up the newspaper and water the tomatoes, mowing over an additional line of grass each time he went out and came back. Bob was steadfast and devoted, especially to his beloved wife. The impact of his life cannot be overstated. Bob is survived by his wife Jane Willhour of Fort Collins, his brother Richard (Dick) William Willhour of Tulsa, his children Alice Austin and Jim Willhour of Fort Collins, his grandchildren Amy Austin & Tyler Austin, his nephew and nieces: Rick Willhour, Susan McKee, Sandra Freeman, as well as his grand niece and nephews. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him and loved him. A memorial service, in celebration of his life, will be held at 10:30am on Friday, December 15, 2023 at Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, followed by a light lunch. All are welcome. A family burial service will follow at 2:30pm at Grandview Cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (6501 Brittany Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525).

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Robert Ralph Willhour

December 19, 1931 - November 27, 2023