Robert Lee Bormuth, 85, peacefully took his last breath on earth and his first breath in Heaven with Jesus on February 25, 2020, surrounded by his family. He fought a 1-1/2 year battle with mesothelioma.
Bob was born in Casper, WY March 3, 1934 to Kenneth and Clysta Bormuth, the middle of three children. In 1940 the family moved to Cody, WY. He graduated from Cody High School in 1952, where he was the senior class president and student council president. His yearbook motto was “fun, friends and work yield success”. Bob played football, baseball and wrestled. He was a State Champion wrestler his junior year and runner-up his senior year.
Bob received a full-ride scholarship for wrestling to attend The University of Wyoming. While there, he was a three time conference champion at 157-pounds, qualifying him for the NCAA National tournament. He graduated in 1956.
Bob’s first teaching job was in Wheatland, WY where he taught math and coached wrestling. That job lead to a teaching position in Los Alamos, NM where he taught math and started the wrestling program from scratch. After arriving in Los Alamos, he met another Wyoming native, Maxine Williams who was the Home Economics teacher at the High School. They married June 21, 1959. Their first daughter, Shelley, was born there in 1960.
Bob was given the opportunity to be a graduate assistant for The University of Wyoming wrestling team, so the family returned to Laramie, Wy for him to complete his master’s degree. Daughter Becky was born there in 1964.
Bob’s next teaching position was at Greeley Central High School in 1965. There Bob taught math (Consumer math, Pre-Algebra and Geometry) and co-authored a math text book with Mike Usher. Over the years he was an assistant coach in football, track and head coach in cross-country and wrestling. His summers were usually spent heading up the summer wrestling program through the Recreation Department and taking youngsters to tournaments. He could also be found attending every track, swimming, and gymnastics meet of his two daughters. The family went on many camping trips, usually along the Poudre River. Eventually they purchased a small log cabin in Crystal Lakes, where the family spent many memorable times together.
Bob and Maxine retired in 1990, thus starting the new chapter in their lives as snowbirds. They purchased a second home in Mesa, AZ spending six months there in the winter and six months at their mountain property. Bob learned to play golf, joining two different leagues and meeting many new friends. During their summers back in Colorado, Bob and Maxine built a two story addition to their log cabin. Doing most of the work themselves, they more than doubled the square footage of their mountain home. Bob and Maxine moved to Fort Collins in 2003, where they have remained until his death.
Grandson Casey Knutsen was born in 2000, bringing another athlete into the family with more games to attend and cheering from the sidelines.
Bob is survived by his wife of 60-years, Maxine Bormuth, two daughters Shelley Knutsen and Becky (Mike) Guthrie, also, grandson Casey Knutsen, sister-in-law RoyAnn Bormuth, and nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, sister Donna (Jim) Dugger, and brother William Bormuth.
A celebration of life will be held Thursday, March 12th at 11:00am at the First United Methodist Church, 1005 Stover St., Fort Collins, CO. A luncheon will be served following the service.
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