May 09, 1939 - November 20, 2020
Ronald Grob died peacefully on November 20, 2020, with his wife Rebecca by his side in his hospital room at the Medical Center of the Rockies. He had struggled with a myriad of health issues for several years before his passing and would frequently jest ‘something is going to get me one of these days’.
On May 9, 1939 Ron Grob was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Theodore and Mavis (Reese) Grob of Grafton, Wisconsin where he began life’s journey with a happy childhood full of activity and curiosity. In his youth he built and raced a soapbox derby car, put together model airplanes, enjoyed cycling, collected stamps, and had fun ice skating with friends. A budding entrepreneur, he also started his own business painting and repairing mailboxes. Ron’s lifelong love of flying airplanes began in his teens and he would ride his bike to the West Bend airport to take flying lessons. By the age of 15 and before being licensed to drive, he had earned his private pilot’s license. In 1957, he graduated valedictorian of his class from Grafton High School where he also played trumpet in the band, attended Boys’ State, won a DAR history award and played on the football and basketball teams.
Ron graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1963. While earning a degree in mechanical engineering he was president of the Hoofer’s Skiing and Sailing Club, a member of the International Honor Society for Mechanical Engineers (Pi Tau Sigma) and was awarded a scholarship which allowed him to study abroad for a year in Bonn, Germany. During a ski club meeting, Ron met his future wife Rebecca Sund and was quick to plan their first date on the slopes of Little Slinger ski resort in Wisconsin.
After graduation, he was employed at Hewlett Packard in Loveland and had convinced Rebecca to transfer to the University of Colorado. The couple were soon married in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, on November 28,1964. After the wedding, they briefly resided near Grafton, Wisconsin, but longed to return to colorful Colorado. In June of 1965, the newlyweds decided to make Loveland their permanent home where they could raise a family, hike, and ski. That year, Ron started his business on West Eighth Street in Loveland while Rebecca continued her studies in art at CSU.
Specializing in thread-rolling, centerless grinding, CNC milling and precision machining, the Ron Grob Company is still in operation today. Ron took pride in the company’s capabilities and enjoyed solving the complex needs of customers. He was especially gratified by being able to provide employment opportunities to the local community for 55+ years.
In his personal life he enjoyed the arts, flying, skiing, hiking, gardening, sailing, tennis, windsurfing, chess, and a good pun. He and his wife were season tickets holders of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for over 50 years. A lifelong private pilot, Ron could be seen on the weekends at Northern Colorado Regional Airport. In his spare time, he built a beautiful four passenger Lancair ES plane (RG711). While building the Lancair, Ron joined the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and was active in the local chapter. A great joy in his life was giving airplane rides to friends and family and especially to future pilots through the EAA Young Eagles program.
Ron is survived by his wife Rebecca, daughter Heather Grob (Patrick Hub) and granddaughter Cecelia Baldwin of Olympia, WA, daughter Ann Grob of Denver, CO, and son Marco Grob of Loveland. He is also survived by sister Alice (Bob) Sauer and brother Ted (Kay) Grob of Grafton, WI, and many nieces and nephews across the country. Ron is preceded in death by his parents, sister Arlene Perry of Chicago, IL, and sister Erika Murray and brother-in-law Bob Murray of Aspen, CO.
Due to the pandemic, a memorial service is to be determined. Friends may also view this obituary and leave condolences on Legacy.com at www.RememberingCO.us. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations go to the local chapter of the Young Eagles https://chapters.eaa.org/eaa515.
