Robert Alexander Rausin

Robert Alexander Rausin, 77, formerly of Grand Junction, Colorado, passed away on Monday, June 22nd, from a brief illness. He was born in Alameda, California, on July 24th, 1942 to Luther Marion Rausin and Huldah Mackie. Robert was raised on his grandfather Alec Mackie’s farm until moving to Upland, California during his teen years to live with his dad. He attended both Clearlake Union High School and Chaffey High School, graduating at 16 years old from Chaffey.

In 1963, Robert, known to everyone as Bob, married Diana Lynn Parsell and that marriage brought son Rob and daughter April into the world. In the summer of 1973, Bob, who was divorced from Diana, took Rob and April with him to Colorado to live after obtaining a job with Colorado Department of Transportation. While living in Denver, Colorado, Bob maintained Santa Fe Drive until transferring to Basalt, Colorado in 1978. He maintained Highway 82 clear to the top of Independence Pass in Aspen, Colorado until 1994, when his job with CDOT took him to Grand Junction, Colorado via a transfer out of maintenance and into the Road Test Materials lab. In December of 2000, Bob retired from CDOT.

Bob enjoyed watching Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks baseball games and crime shows on TV with his daughter, loved John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies, the music of Waylon Jennings, Bobby Darin, and Ricky Nelson, and spending time with family and his dearest friends Don and Emilie Olbert. He lived the past two and a half years in Phoenix, Arizona with his daughter and son-in-law.

Bob was preceded in death by his father Luther, mother Huldah, sister Gloria Galewick, brother-in-law Stan Galewick, and ex-wife Diana Rausin. He is survived by his son Rob (Wendy), his daughter April Addington (Mike), grandchildren Robby Rausin (Molly), Kimberly Moore (Robby), and Deborah Smith (Jason), and great grandchildren Aidan, Brendan, Jaymison, Bear, and Holly.