Robert Whedbee

1915 to 2008 Robert Eugene Whedbee died July 19, 2008, in Greeley. He was 93 years old. Bob was born in Wichita, Kan., April 30, 1915, to Harriet Griffin Hughes and Earl Franklin Whedbee. He attended public school in Wichita, Kan.; Eliasville, Texas; and in Fort Worth, Texas. During his high school years, he won many state championships in swimming and diving. In the early 1930's, Bob attended Wichita University for three years. Later he transferred to Kansas University where he received BA degrees in economics and history in 1938. In 1939, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked as an auditor in the General Accounting Office. At night, he continued graduate studies in economics and statistics at George Washington University and American University. In May of 1941, he was transferred from the General Accounting Office to the War Department, US Engineers in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, British West Indies. Later that same year, he was transferred to the State Department and assigned "for the duration of the emergency" to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In August of 1943, Bob was transferred to Madrid, Spain, where he served as Economic Attach ¬ in the US Embassy. He was responsible for coordinating research and analysis of information related to blockade control and German balance of payments with Spain. While in Spain, he met Irene Georgina "Bunty" Lewis, who was working in the British Embassy. Bob and Bunty were later married in 1945, in Baltimore, Md. After their marriage, they were assigned to an extended tour-of-duty in Madrid, Spain from 1945 until 1948. During this time, Bob served as Second Secretary and Vice Consul and published articles on business and economics in Spain under Franco. In 1948, Bob received a fellowship to Harvard University in Boston, Mass. Bob and Bunty's first daughter, Linda, was born in Brookline, Mass. in 1949. Shortly afterwards, the family was reassigned to Santiago, Chile, where Bob served as Second Secretary and Vice Consul from 1949 to 1951. Bob went on to serve as Political Attach ¬ to the US Embassies in Havana, Cuba 1954-1955; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1955-1957; Tegucigalpa, Honduras 1957-1959; San Salvador, El Salvador 1962-1964. Bob and Bunty's second daughter, Karen, was born in 1963 in San Salvador, El Salvador. From 1964 through 1965, Bob became a State Department consultant to the Army in Bangkok, Thailand; Lima, Peru; and, Bogot í, Colombia. Bob retired from the federal government in 1965. Bob moved his family to Fort Collins in 1965. During that same year, he accepted a position at Colorado State University as associated director for International Programs. Later, he was appointed director. He served as director until 1979. Settled in one place for the first time in his adult life, Bob enjoyed taking care of his house north of town and his cabin up Rist Canyon. He also enjoyed gardening, mechanics, carpentry, listening to music, and trying to understand computers. His many passions included reading, writing, and learning. Bob took a great interest in following the lives of his two daughters. In his retirement, he served as a volunteer bailiff. He also spent many years as a volunteer for RSVP and VITA. Bob was the great-nephew of Benjamin T. Whedbee, the first mayor of Fort Collins. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his brother, Arnold F. Whedbee. He is survived by his eldest daughter, Carolyn Barbara "Linda" Whedbee her life-partner, Lisbeth J Vincent, and, his younger daughter, Karen Elizabeth Whedbee. He will be greatly missed by family and friends. A celebration of life gathering will take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. Bob believed that education was the single most important gift you could give someone. If you would like to make a donation in his memory, please consider: Turning Point of Fort Collins, or, La Fundacion Lorena Ochoa www.fundacionlorenaochoa.org . Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com.