Dr. Robert Earl Zimmer

Dec. 9, 1921 — Oct. 20, 2008

BOULDER — Dr. Robert Earl Zimmer died of natural causes Oct. 20, 2008 at the age of 86.

Bob was born in Monmouth, Ill. Dec. 9, 1921 to Earl Henry and Ruth Ebersole Zimmer.

In the spring of 1922 he moved with his parents to Colorado Springs Colo.

Bob graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School along with his brother Glenn. Bob served with the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater during World War II. Following his military service, he graduated from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. where he was a member of Blue Key and the campus chapter of Beta Theta Pi. While at the School of Mines, Bob and several cohorts were known to travel to Aspen to ski and perhaps participate in other local recreational pursuits.

Following graduation from Northwestern University, Evanston Ill., Bob went into the dentistry practice founded by his father in Colorado Springs. While at Northwestern he met Helen Geneva Welch and they were wed a year later in June of 1956. Together they shared the joy of their two boys, Bob and Carl. The family traveled frequently and Bob and Helen shared their love of the outdoors with their sons, creating lifelong skiers of both. Bob and Helen moved their family to Ouray, Colo. in 1973 where they operated the Wiesbaden Hot Springs Resort. There Bob continued to exercise his love of the outdoors in the San Juan Mountains through hiking, backpacking, skiing and driving a 1953 Wiley’s jeep to some crazy places, forever inspiring his sons to great adventures of their own.   

Bob and Helen moved to Montrose, Colo. in 1979 where Bob participated in business with Helen, was a member of the Montrose Rotary and enjoyed being a part of The Black Canyon Barbershop Chorus.

In 2007, he and Helen moved to Boulder, Colo.

Bob is survived by his wife of 52 years, Helen Zimmer; sons, Bob Jr. and Carl; his daughter-in-laws, Meg and Cathy Zimmer; four grandchildren, Lindee, Rhiannon, Ruby and Jack Zimmer; a step-grandson, Brandon; and one great-granddaughter, Kaci. Bob is also survived by his brother, Dr. Glenn H. Zimmer, his wife Barbara, and their two children, Lisa and Eric.

Now the journey of his life here on Earth is complete.

The family is deeply grateful to those at Sunrise Assisted Living in Boulder for their dedication and dignified care of Bob in the last stage of his life.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. A reception will follow at the church.