Robert Glenn Pierce

Bob was born in May 1929 in Sioux City, Iowa, to Glenn and Ruth. His father was an accountant and his mother was a social worker.

The difficult economic times informed the rest of his life, giving him an appreciation for the sacrifices necessary to persevere. Because of the difficult employment situation, the family moved frequently, living in Coleridge, Nebraska, then Hay Springs, Omaha, Lincoln and Beatrice, Nebraska. When Bob was about age 10, they moved to Denver for a short time, then Ft. Collins, then to Scottsbluff, Nebraska around 1940. The family returned to Lincoln in 1941. From kindergarten through sixth grade Bob attended a different elementary school each year, sometimes more than one in a single school year.

A gifted athlete, Bob found great success on the basketball court, having an exceptional high school, college and semi-pro career. His high school career was capped by most valuable player status on a 26-0 Lincoln High School 1945-46 state champion team. Bob entered the University of Nebraska in 1947, and played basketball for the Huskers. In his sophomore year, Bob played on the varsity team which tied with the University of Oklahoma team for the conference championship. His junior year, Nebraska tied with Kansas and Kansas State for the conference championship. His success on the basketball court was recognized in 1993 with his induction into the University of Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame.

At NU, he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1952. He then went to work for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and played on the Phillips 66’ers basketball team. The team played in the 1952 US Olympic basketball play-offs to determine the members of the US Olympic team, which would go to Helsinki, Finland for the Olympics. In New York’s Madison Square Garden, the 66er’s lost in the semi-finals to the Peoria Caterpillar basketball team.

In the early 50’s, his parents moved to Denver. Bob later followed, and being the pragmatic person he was, while being accepted to Harvard Law School, he instead attended the University of Denver, where he obtained his law degree, graduating in 1957. He practiced law for 58 years, beginning as a Deputy Colorado Attorney General and as a Deputy District Attorney in Jefferson County, and then in private practice. Bob and Dick Landrum established a law firm and practiced together for more than 50 years. Bob’s dedication to his clients was unquestionable, and his passion and enthusiasm for the practice of law reflected his strong work ethic and his intelligence-he truly enjoyed the process of applying the law.

In 1959, he met the love of his life, Shirley. The two married on December 17, 1960. The two built a family, raising two children, Lynn and Richard, and along the way they enjoyed a wide circle of friends. His memories of the times spent with friends throughout his life sustained him in the later stage of his life. A lifelong athlete, he ran the basketball court into his 70’s, and skied at Mary Jane/Winter Park well into his 80’s. His love of skiing brought him to meet many a friend, and brought many a great family memory. In his life journey he fully embraced family, work and sports, and he was always thankful for the blessings he had in those areas, and for the friendships they brought into his life. Bob’s family has been the most important parts of Bob’s life. Bob’s life will forever be celebrated by his grateful family-his wife Shirley; children Lynn and Richard(wife Anwell); grandchildren Ryan, Devin, Cate and Ava.

In memory of Bob’s love of skiing, in lieu of flowers, please donate to the National Sports Center for the Disabled, for benefit of the Winter Park disabled ski program. NSCD, P.O. Box 1290, Winter Park, CO 80402.