Robert Allen Breeden

Bob was born on May 16, 1944, in Warren, Michigan to the late James and Virginia (Manville) Breeden. Bob was raised in Richfield, Minnesota where he was a graduate of Richfield High School. Bob went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, and a Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management, at the University of Minnesota. Bob was employed as a Defense Contract Negotiator in the Defense and Aerospace Industry, working many years for Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace.

Bob met Marjorie (“Marj”) while working at 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bob and Marj married May 24, 1969, and lived in St. Paul where their two children, Mark and Julie, were born. Bob and Marj later moved to Eagan, Minnesota in 1981 before relocating to Longmont, Colorado in 1997.

Bob was an avid outdoors enthusiast, enjoying hiking, camping, snowshoeing, biking, and canoeing (especially whitewater canoeing). Bob was a professional photographer early in his adult life, photographing weddings. Bob’s photography passion continued throughout his life as he specialized in nature photography. Bob was also passionate about cars, competing in Auto Crosses with Marj, and Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) rallies with the 3M Sports Car Club. He also had the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car at the Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. In recent years, Bob and Marj competed in TSD rallies with the Rocky Mountain Region Porsche Club of America. Bob savored the opportunity to take his porsche to High Plains Raceway in Bennett, Colorado for an occasional track day.

Bob put his family first, ensuring the family ate meals together, attended church, and joined in various activities, such as biking, hiking, camping, mini golf, bowling, cribbage, and playing card games.

Bob was a devoted husband of 56 years to Marj (Lang); father to Mark of Lafayette, Colorado and Julie (Fryer) of Hopkinton, Massachusetts; son-in-law to Ray Fryer; and grandfather to Connor, Haley, and Carlos (Julie).

The family will hold a service on Tuesday, August 19, at 11:00 am at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 326 Terry Street, Longmont, Colorado, 80501. All are welcome to join the family for a reception following the service at the funeral home.

Donations in Bob’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society.

~ Eulogy's ~

Shortly after college, Julie and I moved out to Boston and her parents moved to Colorado. Julie and I started dating a short time after. After a year or so, it was time to meet her parents!

We flew out to Colorado where Bob and Marj welcomed me with open arms. I do have to say, Bob was intimidating but not in the way you'd think. From the beginning he was always kind and respectful to me, but Bob had a knowledge base and attention to detail that's second to none. Whether the topic was cars (his favorite by far), campers, home improvement or finances, he was never short on words. Our conversations were mostly his sharing of knowledge and my trying to comprehend as much as possible, but that was ok by me. If I absorbed half of it, I was doing well!

Julie and I had been dating for three years before I finally proposed to her - and she said yes after cleaning off the wine I spilled on her as I reached for the ring. Julie shared the news with her parents, and I'll never forget Bob's response - "it's about time". I guess I was ok in his book.

While in Minnesota, Bob undertook his passion for canoeing. He purchased a beautiful Mad River kevlar canoe with mahogany trim from EMS (where I used to work ironically) and enjoyed exploring waterways such as the Boundary Waters with it. In typical Bob fashion, he put some TLC into his canoe - installing reinforcement on the keel, non-slip paint on the inside, a pad on the yoke.

The canoe moved out to Colorado with them where it hung unused for several years in the garage. Bob knew of our love of paddling and somehow, he and Marj found a local couple with plans to travel to New England. Bob must have used his contract negotiating skills because somehow, he installed a roof rack on this couple's SUV, mounted the canoe, gave them $200 with some extra gas money and 2,000 miles later the canoe was in Massachusetts. It's still loved and used in New Hampshire by our family.

I lost my own father nearly eight years ago, and since then Bob has been like a second father to me, especially when it comes to seeking advice! We've enjoyed many camping vacations together - Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Disney World - which we'll always cherish.

So, Bob, if you 're listening, we love you, miss you and will bring you back to that special place in the Boundary Waters nature preserve via your well-traveled Mad River canoe.

- Ray Fryer

Today, we gather to celebrate and honor the life of my dad. While there is deep sadness in saying goodbye, there is also gratitude-for the love he gave us, the lessons he taught us, and the example he set for how to live a meaningful life.

My dad's first priority was always family. He made sure we knew that no matter what happened in life, we had each other, and we had his support. He showed up for us-not just in the big moments, but in the small, everyday ways that mattered most. He gave me his time, energy, and his love freely. He taught us the importance of family dinners and spending time together.

Dad liked to call himself a jack of all trades. There was nothing he couldn't fix, build, or figure out. Whether it was repairing something around the house, solving a tricky problem, or simply offering practical advice, Dad always seemed to know the answer. He had an endless curiosity and a gift for learning, and he was generous in sharing that knowledge with others. I was always confident that if I called with a question, Dad would have an answer.

Above all, Dad's life was grounded in his faith. He lived with a quiet but steady trust in God, and that faith guided the way he treated others-with kindness and generosity. His faith gave him strength, and it gave us an example of how to walk through life with hope, compassion, and purpose.

While we will miss him more than words can express, we take comfort in knowing that he is now at peace, held in the loving arms of God. His legacy lives on in us, in the way we love our families, in the skills and knowledge he passed down, and in the faith that sustains us.

- Julie Fryer

My name is Kathy Bhama. Marj Breeden and I have been lifelong friends since grade school. She has asked me to speak about Bob. Though our hearts are heavy, we find comfort in the many memories we have of Bob.

Marj and I were teenagers, in our senior year of high school when this smart, good-looking man bearing a dozen red roses started courting my best friend. WOW, Bob, you made an impact!

Bob was passionate about being a good husband, father and bread-winner, providing his family with whatever they needed or wanted (and much more). Thank you, Bob, for being a good friend as I knew that they were safe in your care.

As friends, we enjoyed canoeing, hiking, BBQ ribs in Kansas City, jazz music, playing cornhole, cribbage and Rook (a card game Mark gave Bob and Marj for Christmas), and visiting with their long-time friends Jeff and Karen at their 1910 Sip House establishment last fall.

Cars, cars, cars - Bob knew them inside and out. How he enjoyed belonging to or experiencing car-related events. My husband's favorite memory of Bob's car adventures is "sit down, shut up and hang on".

We also appreciate Bob for his enthusiasm toward lifelong learning. His interests were varied which made Bob the intellect we all knew.

Thank you for your unwavering love for my best friend, Marj, your children and grandchildren. Though you are gone, your spirit will live on in our hearts.

- Kathy Bhama