In loving memory of our father, Cameron “Cam” Duncan Robertson, an extraordinary man … he was a caring, loving grandfather, father and husband. Cam, as he preferred to be called, was named after his grandfather Angus Allan Cameron and you can see from these names he had a long line of Scottish ancestors. I would have lunch with Cam on most Fridays and meet up with him at a corner diner and see him chatting with a table full friends. Yes, this was Cam talking to all comers and sometimes even agreeing with them. At this lunch time event I observed something very interesting; "that you will not know your father until you know your father’s friends". For it was a constant stream of his old-time friends passing through Salt Lake City from Edmonton, Alberta on their way to warmer climates. When I could get stories from Cam’s old home town friends during these interesting and spell binding lunches, they would tell me about his bicycle rides, ski jumping, and canoe building. These were no short around town type rides, he and his ‘buddies’ would get on their two speed bikes (you changed gears by stopping, releasing the quick-release hubs on the rear wheel, removing the chain, turning the wheel around, putting the chain back on the other-side gear-sprocket and placing the wheel back in position, tightening the hubs ... and off you rode ... in second gear!). This would be a ride from Edmonton to the Canadian Rockies (Jasper, to Lake Louise, to Banff) to Calgary, and then back up to Edmonton. So for Cam being in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado was like being back home. It was much later that I learned that Cam qualified to be on the Canadian Olympic ski jumping team ... all but for one small problem he was only sixteen years old and at time you had to be seventeen years old to participate in winter Olympic games. It was from these encounters that I found a new perspective and depth to Cam’s life and my understanding of who he was to me: Cam, father, and dad.
Cam’s work life started during World War II when he was rejected from serving in the Canadian Armed Forces due to a hearing deficit, he was deaf in one ear. That did not stop him from trying to serve in the war effort. He then started working for the USACD as a materials expeditor for building the ALCAN highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska via Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory covering some 1700 plus miles of the most inhospitable terrain and weather one can imagine. At the end of his assignment and near the wars end he met a young lady from southern Alberta and they married and settled down in Edmonton, Alberta to start a family.
Cam used his experience from his efforts on the ALCAN highway and started work with J. I. Case farm machinery equipment company as a material expeditor; a job filled with many challenges and much travel across the vast distances of Alberta. He met these challenges with great surprise to his American counterparts and as he rose through the ranks of the J. I. Case Company (now known as Case IH). It was his hard work and constant view that work could be done smarter vs just working harder that brought him to the attention of the powers-to-be at Case and he was moved to Omaha, NE in 'the States' to handle special projects. This caused the relocation of his family from one country to another country. As with all things in life the grass may or may not be greener on the other side and we found ourselves faced with his decision that he would rather be his own boss or as close to that as he could make it. This resulted in relocating the family, wife, Olga, oldest son, Allan, and son, Blake (the baby of the family) to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Cam purchased a minority interest in a small speciality farm equipment dealership and launched them on a new path of growth, stability, and prosperity. Put two sons through the University of Utah. He worked hard and found that he needed some work-life-balance and took up the leisure sport of golf ... you know, chasing a small white ball around on green grass and hitting at it with all sorts of wood and metal clubs. This was balanced with his opportunity to give back to the community through his many activities as a Mason and Shriner (Old Scottish rite), allowed him to give time and treasure to the philanthropic missions of the El Kala Shriner Temple in Salt Lake City and many, many opportunities to travel with his first love and only love, Olga.
After Olga’s fast and tragic fight with cancer ending in 2001, Cam moved to Arizona to golf and golf, and do some more golfing! Was he good at this leisure sport I cannot really say, for I think golf’s allure skips the next generation, but I can say for sure he played golf until he could no longer hold or swing a club because of his Dupuytren’s contracture. At this point in 2015 he was moved to Estes Park by his youngest son, Blake, so that he could find peace and relaxation in the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Cam, born in 1923, was the oldest of the three Robertson children and survived his two younger brothers. Cam’s wish was that he live longer than his grandmother-Cameron who passed away just shy of 96 years. Cam passed away in 2021, just shy of 98 years of age. He is survived by his two sons (Allan and Blake) and their families, four grandsons, and six grandchildren. Sincere thanks to his care givers at Good Samaritan Society and Hospice who provided thoughtful and compassionate care to the end.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.5