Glen "Bob" Robert Cates

Bob must have been born with a football, basketball, and baseball in his hands as playing all three sports was a passion for his entire life.

Bob was a starter in those three sports all four years at Lusk High School. He played in multiple state tournaments and was chosen to the Wyoming All-State teams multiple years. His talent in all three sports won him athletic scholarships in each sport to the University of Wyoming. While there, Bob married his first wife Beverly Savage, also from Lusk. They had three children, Linda, Lana, and Gary.

Bob transferred to Colorado A&M for his final three years of college where he played guard on the basketball team and third base on the baseball team. The highlight of his basketball athletic career at CSU was winning the Skyline League in 1953-54. The team then automatically qualified to play in the NCAA tournament.

Following graduation, Bob coached in Gordon, NE; Sterling, CO; and Fort Collins High School. Always a head basketball coach, Bob also assisted in football and baseball.

In 1976, Bob married Linda Wagaman Brooks. They both secured jobs at Fruita Monument High School in Grand Junction (Linda’s hometown). At FMHS, Bob coached basketball and was the school’s Athletic Director. In the three years Bob coached there, his Wildcats won the conference title and went to the state tournament two years. Bob was also chosen the Southwestern Conference Coach of the Year. In 1980 Bob was hired as the Mesa County School District Director of Athletics.

Serving in that role for 10 years, Bob was hired in 1990 as Assistant Commissioner for CHSAA-the Colorado High School Activities Association in Denver. While there, Bob was in charge of state tournaments in basketball, baseball, softball and golf along with the student council workshop and conference.

After retirement, Bob and Linda traveled the world visiting all seven continents including Antarctica. They cruised often with friends and family. Bob always said to Linda, “Where are we going? My buddies want to see our itinerary.” Those same buddies were his breakfast and golf companions for many years. In retirement, Bob served on the CSU Former Athletes Committee and helped select alumni for the Hall of Fame. Bob became a Rams Legend and was honored every year at halftime of a CSU basketball game. In 2021, Bob and Linda were voted as the CSU Outstanding Alumni Award recipients of the Jim and Nadine Henry Award in the College of Liberal Arts.

More important than awards and distinctions, however, was the man. Recently selected to be inducted into the Fruita Monument Hall of Fame on February 2, 2024, God had other plans for him as he died a week before the ceremony. But Bob got to share in the most important tribute to his life—the way former students and players recently described the influence he had on their lives: kind, truly inspirational, a mentor, a class act, an amazing man—a true gentleman.

Predeceased by his parents, Bob is survived by his wife Linda of 47 years, his step daughter Kelli Brooks (Santa Monica, CA), daughters Linda Dudley and Lana Rucker (Fort Collins), son Gary (Greeley) and grandsons Nick Rucker and Adrien Dudley.

A memorial service to celebrate Bob’s life, with a reception to follow, will be held at Allnutt Funeral Service in Fort Collins on Friday, April 12 at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bob and Linda Cates Scholarship Endowment at Colorado State University.

Send checks to:

Ram Club Development Office

101 McGraw Athletic Center

Fort Collins, CO 80523

Make checks payable to:

CSU Foundation

Memo: Bob and Linda Cates Scholarship Endowment

For an online donation:

https://advancing.colostate.edu/GIVE

Type in the search: Bob and Linda Cates Scholarship Endowment (64145).