Robert Clements Hamblin

Estes Park Resident Bob Hamblin died in Loveland Saturday May 21, 2016. He was 84 years old. Robert Clements Hamblin was born April 22, 1932 in Oklahoma City, OK. His parents were Chester and Ellen (Clements) Hamblin. He graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in Sociology and lettering in swimming all four years. He entered the United States Air Force and was the last class to fly B-25’s. He was also a mission pilot flying out of Sacramento, CA and received an Honorable Discharge in 1968. Bob was an insurance agent in San Jose, CA. There, he was a member of the Jaycees and got acquainted with Lincoln Life Insurance Company which was the largest company in the United States at the time. Bob worked for that company for 27 years, reaching the position of Senior Vice President of Marketing Sales. He later went on to work for Phoenix Mutual and retired in 1991. On May 23, 1981 he married Joyce Lassman in Hartford, CT. Bob was active in Rotary Clubs in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Hartford, Connecticut. After he and Joyce retired to Estes Park, CO he became very involved in the Noon Rotary Club serving on various committees. He chaired the Duck Race the first two years Rotary assumed responsibility for the event. Bob served as President of the club in 1994-1995 and became District Governor of District 5440 in 1998-1999. He also served two years as President of the Rotary Foundation. Bob and Joyce were active participants in the Recreational Vehicle Fellowship of Rotarians (RVF). He served as President in 2001-2003. As a team, he and Joyce served on a major fund acquisition committee for the Estes Park Land Trust in the successful endeavor to place Meadowdale Ranch in a protective land trust agreement. He was an active participant on the Estes Park Medical Center Foundation Board serving as President during the hospital expansion project. He was a member and elder of the Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies. During his retirement years, Bob worked on improving his wood working skills especially during the holidays… much to the delight of those on his gift list. As a couple, Bob and Joyce made time for RV travel with Rotarians plus a good portion exploring the back roads of the U.S. including Alaska. Their travels included several history/adventure trips sponsored by the Smithsonian and National Geographic. One of their past challenging adventures was completing Wainwright’s Coast to Coast hike across Northern England covering more than 200 miles in 2003. Bob is survived by his wife Joyce of Estes Park, sons Robert Hamblin, Jr. (Cindy) of Morgan Hill, CA and David Hamblin (Keri) of South Carolina, Frederick Shedd (Philippa) of Columbus, IN and daughter Leanne Byron of Littleton, CO. Also surviving is a sister Janet Olsen of Loomis, CA and 12 grandchildren. A memorial service will celebrate Bob’s life at 2:00 P.M. on June 9, 2016 at the Community Church in Estes Park. Memorial donations may be made to the Rotary Club Foundation in care of Allnutt Funeral Service 1302 Graves Ave. Estes Park, CO 80517.